Northwest Harbor to Brookhaven is 45.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 17 minutes via Sunrise Highway and Montauk Highway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, traversing the Northeast region. You'll be sticking to surface roads for the entire drive, so expect a more local feel rather than interstate cruising. It's a straightforward connection between two points on Long Island, ideal for a quick local excursion.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Sunrise Highway
24.2 mi
31m
Montauk Highway
9.4 mi
18m
County Road 39A
5.5 mi
11m
Stephen Hands Path
2.1 mi
5m
Old Northwest Road
1.8 mi
3m
Northwest Road
0.7 mi
1m
Horseblock Road
0.4 mi
<1m
South Country Road
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Sunrise Highway
— 24.2 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Northwest Harbor, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on this road
0.4 mi·2 min·this road
2
Turn left onto Northwest Road
0.7 mi·1 min·Northwest Road
3
At end of road, turn left onto Old Northwest Road
1.7 mi·3 min·Old Northwest Road
4
Continue on Old Northwest Road
0.2 mi·25 sec·Old Northwest Road
5
Continue on Stephen Hands Path
0.3 mi·47 sec·Stephen Hands Path
6
Turn right
54 ft·7 sec
7
Turn left
35 ft·1 sec
8
Turn right onto Stephen Hands Path
1.7 mi·4 min·Stephen Hands Path
9
Merge onto NY 27
8.6 mi·17 min·Montauk Highway
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit onto NY 27
372 ft·7 sec·NY 27
Toward NY 27 West: New York
11
Merge onto NY 27; CR 39A
5.5 mi·11 min·County Road 39A
12
Continue on NY 27
24 mi·31 min·Sunrise Highway
13
Take the exit
0.1 mi·23 sec
Exit 57NToward CR 16 West: Yaphank, Horseblock RoadUse the right lane.
14
Turn left onto CR 56
0.2 mi·19 sec·Victory Avenue
15
At end of road, turn left onto CR 16
0.4 mi·41 sec·Horseblock Road
16
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80
0.9 mi·1 min·Montauk Highway
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto CR 36
0.4 mi·50 sec·South Country Road
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
CR 36
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 22.6 miles from Northwest Harbor, 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 1.1 and 44.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.1 mi into trip|~4m in|Old Northwest Road
At end of road, turn left onto Old Northwest Road
Navigation decision point
6
5 mi into trip|~13m in|NY 27 / Montauk Highway
Merge onto NY 27 / Montauk Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
43.3 mi into trip|~1h 13m in
Take the exit toward CR 16 West: Yaphank, Horseblock Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 57N
Toward CR 16 West: Yaphank, Horseblock Road
6
44 mi into trip|~1h 14m in|CR 80 / Montauk Highway
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80 / Montauk Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
44.8 mi into trip|~1h 16m in|CR 36 / South Country Road
Turn left onto CR 36 / South Country Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.35 one way
$14.69 round trip
$4.13/gal25.4 MPG avg16 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.47
$7.95
$15.90
premium
$4.87
$8.66
$17.32
diesel
$5.40
$9.61
$19.23
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
13.6
0
$4.75
$2.17
Efficient EV
11.3
0
$3.96
$1.81
EV Truck/SUV
18.1
0
$6.33
$2.89
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Northwest Harbor, NY
Late night
in Northwest Harbor on Sunday
Local time
2:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Rain Showers
E 7 mph99% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 1:03PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
Brookhaven, NY
Late night
in Brookhaven on Sunday
Local time
2:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Rain Showers
E 9 mph98% chanceLive forecast
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 8:05PM EDT until April 26 at 11:00AM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 25 at 1:03PM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
42°F
Southampton, NY
23 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 17m 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 entirely on surface roads, with no highway driving. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 24.2 miles on Sunrise Highway before transitioning to other local roads. Given the profile of mostly surface roads, anticipate frequent intersections and local traffic patterns throughout the 45.2-mile drive.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.2 mi on Sunrise Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near Old Northwest Road.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.2 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 1.1 miles (Old Northwest Road): Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (NY 27 / Montauk Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
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 1h 17m. Total distance: 45.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.2 miles on Sunrise Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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.
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 1.1 miles (Old Northwest Road): Navigation decision point; at 5 miles (NY 27 / Montauk Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Fire Island National Seashore. 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 Brookhaven, NY before heading back.
