Origin
Islip Terrace, NY
Late night in Islip Terrace on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Islip Terrace, NY to Queens, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
42.8 mi
69 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Islip Terrace, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Queens, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Islip Terrace to Queens, you are looking at a straightforward 42.8-mile trip that typically takes about one hour. Because of the quick transit time, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion rather than an overnight journey. You will spend the vast majority of your time on major thoroughfares, specifically the Southern State Parkway, Heckscher State Parkway, and Rockaway Boulevard. With an estimated fuel cost of just $7, it is an economical way to navigate across the Northeast region. While the drive is efficient, keep in mind that the highway-heavy nature of the trip means your experience will be dictated largely by traffic flow. Overall, it serves as a reliable connection between these two points in New York.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern State Parkway | 25.4 mi | 32m |
| Heckscher State Parkway | 6.9 mi | 8m |
| Rockaway Boulevard | 3.2 mi | 7m |
| Belt Parkway | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| Sunrise Highway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Montauk Highway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Conduit Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 103rd Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southern State Parkway
— 25.4 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Islip Terrace, NY and Queens, NY.
1
Start on NY 27
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Sunrise Highway
2
Take the exit
442 ft
·
18 sec
Exit 46A
Toward NY 27A, CR 85: Montauk Highway, Oakdale, Great River
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
Turn right onto NY 27A
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Montauk Highway
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward To NY 27: Southern Parkway west, New York
5
Merge onto H
6.9 mi
·
8 min
·
Heckscher State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on SO
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Southern State Parkway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
25 mi
·
32 min
·
Southern State Parkway
Use the slight left lane.
8
Continue on BP
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Belt Parkway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto BP
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Belt Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 21A
Toward Rockaway Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto NY 27
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
North Conduit Avenue
12
Turn right onto Rockaway Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto Rockaway Boulevard
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Rockaway Boulevard
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto 103rd Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
103rd Street
15
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
257 ft
·
11 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
16
Turn right onto 104th Street
205 ft
·
9 sec
·
104th Street
17
Arrive at destination
104th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 42.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.4 miles from Islip Terrace, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 2 and 39.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward NY 27A, CR 85: Montauk Highway, Oakdale, Great River
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 46A
Toward NY 27A, CR 85: Montauk Highway, Oakdale,...
6
10.5 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
SO / Southern State Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
6
37 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
BP / Belt Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
38.9 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward Rockaway Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 21A
Toward Rockaway Boulevard
6
39.8 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
Rockaway Boulevard
Keep slight left at fork onto Rockaway Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.05 one way
$14.09 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.62 | $15.24 |
| premium | $4.92 | $8.30 | $16.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.45 | $18.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.49 | $2.05 |
| Efficient EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.1 | 0 | $5.99 | $2.74 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Queens, NY
Late night in Queens on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a focused, highway-heavy experience, as roughly 83% of this 42.8-mile route is comprised of fast-paced parkways. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Southern State Parkway, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 25.4 miles. The road’s personality is defined by consistent, high-speed travel, lacking the technical winding turns found on local backroads. As you transition from the parkways onto Rockaway Boulevard, the character of the drive shifts from open highway lanes to a more urban, street-level environment. Being behind the wheel requires sustained attention to surrounding traffic patterns to maintain a steady pace across the hour-long commute.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.4 mi on Southern State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern State Parkway and Heckscher State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 42.8 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.5 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 37 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Islip Terrace, NY and Queens, NY, road signs point toward To Ny 27: Southern Parkway West and New York.
To Ny 27: Southern Parkway West
3.3 mi in
|
~5m
New York
3.3 mi in
|
~5m
About the Cities
Starting in Islip Terrace, NY
Full guide →Arriving in Queens, NY
Full guide →Founded 1683
Queens is a crescent-shaped (with a tail) borough traversing the north-to-south width of Long Island and including two of the major New York City area airports, LaGuardia (LGA IATA) and John F. Kennedy International (JFK IATA). It also carries the largest ethnic diversity in its area of any region in the world, with many small enclaves. Jackson Heights, for example, includes a huge Indian area, followed by a Colombian area, and then a Mexican area. Each offers a wide array of authentic shops, native-style cuisine, and festivals modified only slightly by the generally colder New York City experience.
Top landmarks
- • Queensboro Bridge — bridge in New York City
- • Unisphere — Steel structure in Queens, New York
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 42.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.4 miles on Southern State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Queens, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.5 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 37 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and Fire Island National Seashore (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Queens, NY before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Queens, NY
More trips to Queens, NY
Explore more options from Islip Terrace, NY or browse trips ending in Queens, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.