Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Wantagh, NY
Mel Audelo
North Wantagh, NY to Brookhaven, NY is 34.3 miles and takes about 48 minutes via Sunrise Highway/Southern State Parkway/Montauk Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. The drive offers a mixed experience, suitable for a quick local excursion. With only 48 minutes of estimated travel time, it's an easy option for a day trip, allowing plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 19.1 mi | 26m |
| Southern State Parkway | 12.1 mi | 14m |
| Montauk Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Bay Shore Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Country Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Wantagh Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Howells Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Yaphank Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between North Wantagh, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
Start on Wantagh Avenue
Turn right onto Tally Lane
Take the ramp
Merge onto SO
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
Take the exit
Turn straight onto CR 57
Continue on CR 57
Turn straight onto CR 57
Keep slight left at fork onto Sunrise Highway
Take the ramp
Merge onto NY 27
Take the exit
Turn left onto Sunrise Hwy South Service Road
Turn right onto CR 21
Turn right onto CR 80
Turn left onto CR 36
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 17.1 miles from North Wantagh, 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 0.6 and 32.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Merge onto SO / Southern State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Bay Shore Road South, Bay Shore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto Sunrise Highway toward NY 27 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Take the exit toward CR 21 South: Yaphank Avenue, Brookhaven
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$5.65 one way
$11.29 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $6.11 | $12.21 |
| premium | $4.92 | $6.65 | $13.30 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.57 | $15.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 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 | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in North Wantagh on Tuesday
Local time
10:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Brookhaven on Tuesday
Local time
10:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Partly Cloudy
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 route presents a mixed drive, with 35% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Sunrise Highway, Southern State Parkway, and Montauk Highway, offering a varied driving experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 19.1 miles on Sunrise Highway. Expect a combination of faster parkway travel and potentially more local road conditions as you progress towards Brookhaven.
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 around 0.6 miles in near SO / Southern State Parkway.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 34.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between North Wantagh, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Bay Shore Road South and Bay Shore.
Bay Shore Road South
Bay Shore
Founded 1655
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 48m. Total distance: 34.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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