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Trip from Manhattan, NY to Head of the Harbor, NY

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 24m

Distance

52.9 mi

85 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 18m ★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 30m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 21m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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borough of New York City, New York, United States

Manhattan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

village in Suffolk County, New York, United States

Head of the Harbor, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Manhattan, NY to Head of the Harbor, NY is 52.9 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via Long Island Expressway and NY 25, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the bustling Northeast region of Manhattan to the Northeast region of Long Island. Expect a largely highway-focused drive, making it a straightforward and efficient journey. Given its relatively short duration, this route is ideal for a same-day trip, allowing you to reach your destination without an overnight stay.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Long Island Expressway 38.7 mi 53m
North Country Road 3.4 mi 5m
NY 25 2 mi 3m
Wheeler Road 1.6 mi 2m
Hauppauge Road 1.3 mi 2m
Hauppauge Boulevard 0.9 mi 1m
Borden Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Express Drive South 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Long Island Expressway — 38.7 mi, about 53m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Manhattan, NY and Head of the Harbor, NY.

1

Start on 86th Street Transverse

0.4 mi · 1 min · 86th Street Transverse
2

Turn right onto 5th Avenue

0.6 mi · 2 min · 5th Avenue
3

Turn left onto East 72nd Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · East 72nd Street
4

Turn right onto 2nd Avenue

0.6 mi · 2 min · 2nd Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5

Take the ramp onto NY 25

1.4 mi · 2 min · NY 25
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Lower Roadway Use the left lane.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25

0.6 mi · 51 sec · NY 25
Toward NY 25A, NY 25
7

Turn right onto Van Dam Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Van Dam Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Turn left onto Borden Avenue

0.2 mi · 30 sec · Borden Avenue
9

Take the ramp onto Borden Avenue

0.6 mi · 1 min · Borden Avenue
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
10

Merge onto I 495

39 mi · 53 min · Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 14 sec
Exit 56 Toward NY 111: Smithtown, Islip Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn straight onto Express Drive South

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Express Drive South
13

Continue on Express Drive South

0.4 mi · 44 sec · Express Drive South
14

Turn left onto NY 111

1.6 mi · 2 min · Wheeler Road
15

Continue on NY 111

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Townline Road
Use the left lane.
16

Turn left onto NY 111

0.9 mi · 1 min · Hauppauge Boulevard
Use the left lane.
17

Continue on NY 111

1.3 mi · 2 min · Hauppauge Road
18

Continue on NY 25A

184 ft · 3 sec · River Road
Use the straight lane.
19

Continue on NY 25A

3.4 mi · 5 min · North Country Road
20

Turn left onto Hitherbrook Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Hitherbrook Road
Use the left lane.
21

Keep slight right at fork onto Bacon Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Bacon Road
22

Arrive at destination

Bacon Road

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown North Hills, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

North Hills, NY

26 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

Richmond Hill, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

North Hills, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26.4 miles from Manhattan, 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 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 44.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.5 mi into trip | ~4m in | 2nd Avenue

Turn right onto 2nd Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
6
2.1 mi into trip | ~7m in | NY 25

Take the ramp onto NY 25 toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Lower Roadway

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Lower Roadway
6
3.5 mi into trip | ~9m in | NY 25

Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25 toward NY 25A, NY 25

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward NY 25A, NY 25
5
5.4 mi into trip | ~14m in | I 495 / Long Island Expressway

Merge onto I 495 / Long Island Expressway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
44.1 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in

Take the exit toward NY 111: Smithtown, Islip

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 56 Toward NY 111: Smithtown, Islip

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.71 one way

$17.42 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $9.42 $18.83
premium $4.92 $10.25 $20.51
diesel $5.61 $11.68 $23.36

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.9 0 $5.55 $2.54
Efficient EV 13.2 0 $4.63 $2.12
EV Truck/SUV 21.2 0 $7.41 $3.39

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Manhattan, NY

Morning in Manhattan on Sunday

Local time

6:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°F

Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers

SW 7 to 10 mph 18% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 11:15PM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 16 at 8:18PM EDT until April 17 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

Destination

Head of the Harbor, NY

Morning in Head of the Harbor on Sunday

Local time

6:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

49°F

North Hills, NY

26 mi in

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

21 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 24m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 77% of it utilizing major roadways like the Long Island Expressway. You'll experience a significant stretch of uninterrupted driving, with the longest continuous segment measuring 38.7 miles on the Long Island Expressway. As you progress, the drive transitions from the high-speed environment of the expressway to more local roads like North Country Road and NY 25 as you approach your destination. This shift means you'll move from a faster pace to a more community-oriented setting.

77% 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: 38.7 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 North Country Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near 2nd Avenue.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 52.9 miles you will encounter 13 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 1.5 miles (2nd Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (NY 25): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (NY 25): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Manhattan, NY and Head of the Harbor, NY, road signs point toward Eastern Long Island and Islip.

Eastern Long Island

4.8 mi in | ~12m | via Borden Avenue

Islip

44.1 mi in | ~1h 8m

About the Cities

Starting in Manhattan, NY

Full guide →

Founded 1624

Wall Street. Madison Avenue. 34th Street. Broadway. Times Square. Manhattan is so well known that even the names of its streets have become iconic and understood the world over. This long, thin island is only one of New York City's five boroughs, but it's Manhattan that has the concrete canyons and the inimitable skyline; Manhattan that has the world's brightest theater district; Manhattan that has Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Met; and Manhattan that includes iconic neighborhoods like Harlem, the Upper East Side, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The rest of New York City has much to see and do, but it's Manhattan that represents the city—and sometimes the entire United States—to the world. You could spend a month on this tiny island and still not see all there is to see.

Top landmarks

  • • Empire State Building — skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA

Arriving in Head of the Harbor, NY

Full guide →

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 24m. Total distance: 52.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 38.7 miles on Long Island Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 6 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 Head of the Harbor, 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 1.5 miles (2nd Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles (NY 25): Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (NY 25): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange 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 Head of the Harbor, 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.

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