Lake Ronkonkoma to Richmond Hill is 42.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 3 minutes via the Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its relatively short distance and mostly highway profile, it's a straightforward drive suitable for a single-day excursion. You'll primarily be on major expressways, making it a functional commute rather than a scenic tour. Plan for this to be a quick hop between locations.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Long Island Expressway
26.9 mi
35m
Grand Central Parkway
6.5 mi
9m
Northern State Parkway
2.3 mi
3m
Motor Parkway
1.4 mi
2m
Jamaica Avenue
0.8 mi
1m
North Service Road
0.8 mi
1m
Rosevale Avenue
0.6 mi
1m
Old Nichols Road
0.6 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 26.9 mi, about 35m
Traffic on I-495
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~4,880 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~521 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 24 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lake Ronkonkoma, NY and Richmond Hill, NY.
1
Start on Margaret Drive
0.2 mi·1 min·Margaret Drive
2
Turn left onto Gibbs Pond Road
0.3 mi·43 sec·Gibbs Pond Road
3
Continue on CR 93
0.6 mi·1 min·Rosevale Avenue
4
Turn right onto CR 67
1.4 mi·2 min·Motor Parkway
5
Turn left onto Old Nichols Road
0.6 mi·1 min·Old Nichols Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Express Drive North
0.2 mi·17 sec·Express Drive North
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward I 495 west: New YorkUse the left lane.
8
Merge onto I 495
27 mi·35 min·Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi·29 sec
Exit 36Toward Searingtown Road, Shelter Rock RoadUse the slight right lane.
10
Continue on North Service Road
0.8 mi·1 min·North Service Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
11
Turn left onto Shelter Rock Road
371 ft·14 sec·Shelter Rock Road
Use the left lane.
12
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·33 sec
Toward N West: New YorkUse the right lane.
13
Merge onto N
2.3 mi·3 min·Northern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Continue on GCP
5.3 mi·6 min·Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.1 mi·15 sec
Exit 17Toward 168th Street, Parsons BoulevardUse the slight right lane.
16
Turn straight onto Grand Central Parkway
1.2 mi·3 min·Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
17
Turn left onto Main Street
0.3 mi·48 sec·Main Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Take the ramp
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
19
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica AvenueUse the slight right lane.
20
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West
0.1 mi·21 sec·Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Turn right onto Jamaica Avenue
0.8 mi·1 min·Jamaica Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Arrive at destination
Jamaica Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 21.2 miles from Lake Ronkonkoma, 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 16
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.3 and 41.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.3 mi into trip|~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 west: New York
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 495 west: New York
8
30.3 mi into trip|~43m in
Take the exit toward Searingtown Road, Shelter Rock Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 36
Toward Searingtown Road, Shelter Rock Road
7
31.4 mi into trip|~45m in
Take the ramp toward N West: New York
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward N West: New York
8
39.3 mi into trip|~56m in
Take the exit toward 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 17
Toward 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard
8
41.4 mi into trip|~1h 1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.89 one way
$13.78 round trip
$4.13/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.47
$7.46
$14.92
premium
$4.87
$8.12
$16.25
diesel
$5.40
$9.02
$18.04
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.7
0
$4.45
$2.04
Efficient EV
10.6
0
$3.71
$1.70
EV Truck/SUV
17
0
$5.94
$2.71
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.
Forecast as of Apr 26, 2026
Origin
Lake Ronkonkoma, NY
Late night
in Lake Ronkonkoma on Sunday
Local time
5:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Rain Showers
E 9 mph98% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 26 at 12:24AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY
Destination
Richmond Hill, NY
Late night
in Richmond Hill on Sunday
Local time
5:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Rain Showers
E 12 mph97% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 26 at 12:24AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY
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
2 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 3m on the road
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 88% highway, with the longest stretch covering 26.9 miles on the Long Island Expressway. You'll experience mostly high-speed cruising for the bulk of the 42.4-mile drive. The transition to surface streets will likely occur in the final few miles as you approach Richmond Hill. Expect frequent exits and merges typical of a heavily traveled urban expressway.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.9 mi on Long Island Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Grand Central Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.3 miles in.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 42.4 miles you will encounter 16 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 3.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 30.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 31.4 miles: 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.
On the drive from Lake Ronkonkoma, NY to Richmond Hill, NY, road signs begin pointing toward N West: New York along the way.
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 42.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.9 miles on Long Island Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Richmond Hill, 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 3.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 30.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 31.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and Stonewall National Monument (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 Richmond Hill, NY before heading back.
