Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
31.7 mi
51 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kensington, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Oyster Bay, NY
Wikimedia Commons
If you are planning a quick excursion from Kensington to Oyster Bay, expect a straightforward 31.7-mile journey that typically takes about 54 minutes to complete. This trip serves perfectly as a one-day outing, requiring minimal time behind the wheel and allowing for maximum flexibility once you arrive. You can comfortably budget around $5 for fuel, making this an incredibly cost-effective trek within the Northeast region. Because the entire route remains within New York state, you won't experience significant regional transitions, though the shift from the urban surroundings of Kensington to the character of Oyster Bay provides a nice change of pace. It is an ideal distance for a spontaneous day trip where the transit time remains secondary to your destination plans.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Boulevard | 7.9 mi | 12m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 6.8 mi | 9m |
| Jackie Robinson Parkway | 5 mi | 9m |
| Church Avenue | 2.6 mi | 6m |
| Northern State Parkway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Searingtown Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Pine Hollow Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Kings Highway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Kensington, NY and Oyster Bay, NY.
Start on Albemarle Road
Turn right onto Coney Island Avenue
Turn right onto Church Avenue
Turn left onto Kings Highway
Continue on Tapscott Street
Continue on Howard Avenue
Turn right onto Eastern Parkway
Turn right onto Dean Street
Turn slight left onto East New York Avenue
Continue on Jamaica Avenue
Turn left onto JR
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto GCP
Continue on N
Take the exit
Turn sharp left onto Shelter Rock Road
Turn right onto South Service Road
Turn left onto Searingtown Road
Turn right onto NY 25A
Turn left onto NY 106
Turn straight onto NY 106
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 106
Continue on NY 106
Continue on NY 106
Turn right onto Berry Hill Road
Continue on Berry Hill Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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.
A short stop after about 31.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 15.8 miles from Kensington, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 20.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Coney Island Avenue
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork toward Grand Central Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Shelter Rock Road South, Searingtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn sharp left onto Shelter Rock Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Searingtown Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.22 one way
$10.44 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $5.64 | $11.28 |
| premium | $4.92 | $6.14 | $12.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.00 | $14.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.33 | $1.52 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Kensington on Sunday
Local time
6:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Clear
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 11 at 2:05PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Morning in Oyster Bay on Sunday
Local time
6:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Clear
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 11 at 2:05PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
42°F
Hillside, NY
16 mi in
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This mixed drive offers a varied experience, blending high-speed parkway travel with local road navigation. You will spend roughly 47% of your time on highways, utilizing the Grand Central Parkway and Jackie Robinson Parkway to make steady progress. Northern Boulevard acts as the backbone of your journey, featuring the longest uninterrupted stretch of 7.9 miles. As you move away from the dense traffic patterns near your starting point, the road environment shifts, requiring you to remain alert as you transition between major thoroughfares and suburban connectors. The personality of this drive is functional and efficient, designed to get you to your destination without unnecessary complexity.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Coney Island Avenue.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 31.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Coney Island Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 10.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
294 ft
Total Descent
294 ft
Highest Point
189 ft
~22.6 mi in
Elevation Range
161 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Kensington, NY and Oyster Bay, NY, road signs point toward Grand Central Parkway East, Eastern Long Island, Shelter Rock Road South and Searingtown.
Grand Central Parkway East
Eastern Long Island
Shelter Rock Road South
Searingtown
Founded 1667
Oyster Bay is one of three towns in Nassau County, on Long Island, New York. The town of Oyster Bay comprises a large portion of eastern Nassau County and includes a slew of villages and other communities. This article covers North Oyster Bay – the area closest to Oyster Bay itself (in other words, everything that is north of the Long Island Expressway). See South Oyster Bay for the southern half of the town (in other words, the area south of the expressway). See the article for Glen Cove for communities in the northwest part of the town that are closest to that city.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 31.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (47%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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