New Hartford, NY to Brookhaven, NY is 295.2 miles and takes about 6h 5m via New York State Thruway and Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $49 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region of the state down to its easternmost tip. The route primarily uses major highways for a significant portion of the drive, making it a straightforward option for a single-day excursion. Expect a relatively efficient transit, especially with only one recommended stop.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
147.6 miles from New Hartford, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 54m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
New York State Thruway
201.9 mi
3h 53m
Long Island Expressway
43.5 mi
59m
NJ 17
14.1 mi
18m
NJ 4
6.7 mi
9m
Cross Bronx Expressway
6.6 mi
8m
Genesee Street
4.7 mi
9m
Horseblock Road
4.1 mi
6m
Clearview Expressway
3.2 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
New York State Thruway
— 201.9 mi, about 3h 53m
Traffic on I-495
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,892 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~524 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 74 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 New Hartford, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on Genesee Street
2.8 mi·5 min·Genesee Street
2
Enter roundabout onto Genesee Street
130 ft·2 sec·Genesee Street
3
Continue on Genesee Street
1.9 mi·3 min·Genesee Street
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·49 sec
Toward I 90
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward I 90 East
6
Merge onto I 90
84 mi·1 hr 36 min·New York State Thruway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto New York State Thruway
118 mi·2 hr 16 min·New York State Thruway
Toward I 87 South: New York, BostonUse the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17
0.9 mi·59 sec·NY 17
Exit 15Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New JerseyUse the slight right lane.
9
Continue on I 287; NJ 17
0.5 mi·39 sec·I 287; NJ 17
10
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17
14 mi·18 min·NJ 17
Exit 66Toward NJ 17 South: MahwahUse the slight left / straight lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward NJ 4, GSP South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward NJ 4 East: Fort Lee, New York
13
Merge onto NJ 4
0.3 mi·24 sec·NJ 4
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on NJ 4
6.4 mi·8 min·NJ 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi·18 sec
Toward I 95 North: George Washington BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Merge onto I 95 EXPR
0.7 mi·54 sec·I 95 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR
0.8 mi·1 min·I 95 EXPR
18
Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9
0.6 mi·1 min·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
20
Continue on I 95; US 1
4.7 mi·6 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
2.0 mi·2 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6BToward I 295 South: Throgs Neck BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
22
Merge onto I 295
0.6 mi·58 sec·Throgs Neck Expressway
23
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Continue on I 295
3.2 mi·3 min·Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 4E-WToward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long IslandUse the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·38 sec
Exit 4EToward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
27
Merge onto I 495
43 mi·59 min·Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 65Toward CR 16: Horse Block Road, Centereach, ShirleyUse the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Turn straight onto Express Drive South
0.2 mi·21 sec·Express Drive South
Toward I 495, CR 101: Yaphank, Riverhead
30
Turn slight right onto CR 16
4.1 mi·6 min·Horseblock Road
Use the right lane.
31
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80
0.9 mi·1 min·Montauk Highway
Use the right lane.
32
Turn left onto CR 36
0.4 mi·50 sec·South Country Road
Use the left lane.
33
Arrive at destination
CR 36
Trip Plan
For this 6-hour drive, leaving in the morning is your best bet to maximize daylight and minimize potential evening traffic. With only one recommended stop and a relatively short duration, you have flexibility in when and where you choose to take a break. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, especially as you approach the 201.9-mile mark on the New York State Thruway, as services can be more spread out on long highway stretches. Planning your single stop around the transition from the New York State Thruway to the Long Island Expressway could be strategic.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 147.6 miles from New Hartford, NY, or about 2h 54m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 201.9 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 65 miles or 1h 19m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 147.6 miles or 2h 54m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 51m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brookhaven, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving New Hartford, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from New Hartford, NY
This is one driving day of about 295.2 miles and 6h 5m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 65 miles from New Hartford, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on New York State Thruway for about 201.9 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 23
5 decision points cluster between mile 89.1 and 245.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
89.1 mi into trip|~1h 47m in|New York State Thruway
Keep slight right at fork onto New York State Thruway toward I 87 South: New York, Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 87 South: New York, Boston
9
207.3 mi into trip|~4h 3m in|NY 17
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17 toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 15
Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
8
208.7 mi into trip|~4h 5m in|NJ 17
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17 toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 66
Toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
8
237.7 mi into trip|~4h 45m in|I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
8
245.5 mi into trip|~4h 55m in
Take the exit toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
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 4E-W
Toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$51.67 one way
$103.34 round trip
$4.45/gal25.4 MPG avg103 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$56.00
$111.99
premium
$5.23
$60.78
$121.57
diesel
$6.28
$72.94
$145.88
Estimated Tolls: $32.64
George Washington Bridge
$16.00
New York State Thruway
(201.9 mi)$10.09
Throgs Neck Bridge
$6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$52
Tolls
$33
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$109–$134
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 103.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $31 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
88.6
1
$31.00
$14.17
Efficient EV
73.8
0
$25.83
$11.81
EV Truck/SUV
118.1
1
$41.33
$18.89
Gas CO2
103 kg
EV CO2
35 kg (66% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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 Oct 19, 2026
Origin
New Hartford, NY
Morning
in New Hartford on Thursday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Sunny
SW 1 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Brookhaven, NY
Morning
in Brookhaven on Thursday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Mostly Sunny
NE 6 to 12 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
6h 5m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
National Memorial
Merchant’s clerk, Revolutionary War soldier, first Secretary Treasury of the United States: Alexander Hamilton’s life is memorialized at The Grange, the home he built on a country estate in uptown Man...
3 mi from route
~7 min detour
Free
near mile 234.1
The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict...
4 mi from route
~9 min detour
Free
near mile 234.1
Immerse yourself in an enchanting collage of coastal life and history. Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife, Fire Island has been a special...
7 mi from route
~18 min detour
Free
near mile 295.2
Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a lesbian, a bisexual person or a gay man was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for civil r...
9 mi from route
~23 min detour
Free
near mile 234.1
The African Burial Ground stands as the oldest and largest known excavated burial site in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. It offers a profound testament to the enduring legacy of Af...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 234.1
Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, Castle Clinton marks the place where New York City began and reflects the growth of both the city and the nation. Built to defend the harbor during the War of...
11 mi from route
~28 min detour
Free
near mile 234.1
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive features 27% highway travel, with the longest continuous stretch on the New York State Thruway covering 201.9 miles. After this extensive highway segment, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of the trip. Be prepared for a shift in driving conditions as you move off the major thoroughfare onto more local streets, which will likely involve more frequent intersections and potentially slower speeds.
Only 27% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 201.9 mi on New York State Thruway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 89.1 miles in near New York State Thruway.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 23 significant decision points across 295.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 89.1 miles (New York State Thruway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 207.3 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 208.7 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
689 ft-3 ft
Total Climb
783 ft
Total Descent
1,316 ft
Highest Point
689 ft
~168.7 mi in
Elevation Range
692 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between New Hartford, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Boston, Gsp South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York and Eastern Long Island.
Utica is the heart of the Mohawk Valley and the seat of Oneida County in Central New York State. Utica offers the charm of small-city living balanced with the cultural and ethnic diversity of an international urban center. At the foot of the Adirondack Mountains, Utica is a truly scenic city that offers the pleasures of both a rural and urban setting.
Top landmarks
•St. Stephen's Church — church in New Hartford, New York
Brookhaven is the largest town in Suffolk County, part of Long Island, New York. With 485,000 residents (2020). It includes a patchwork of villages and other communities, and is the only town on the island to touch both the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean. The villages of Belle Terre, Bellport, Lake Grove, Mastic Beach, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Port Jefferson, and Shoreham are semi-autonomous, and provide their own services in addition to those provided by the town. Other prominent communities include Mount Sinai, Stony Brook, and Fire Island, a long and car-free resort island off the south coast of the town.
Top landmarks
•Wardenclyffe Tower — early experimental wireless transmission station designed and built by Nikola Te...
•West Meadow Beach Historic District — historic district in the United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 6h 5m. Total distance: 295.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6h 5m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 201.9 miles on New York State Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $32.64 in tolls one way, starting with George Washington Bridge. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 28 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 Brookhaven, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 28 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 89.1 miles (New York State Thruway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 207.3 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 208.7 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and Fire Island National Seashore (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 6.1 hours each way, a round trip means 12.2 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Brookhaven, NY before the return drive.
