Origin
Plainview, NY
Morning in Plainview on Tuesday
Local time
8:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plainview, NY to Brookhaven, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
31.9 mi
51 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Plainview, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Plainview to Brookhaven, you are looking at a straightforward 31.9-mile journey that typically takes about 45 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as it is short enough to complete without needing an overnight stay. You will primarily utilize the Long Island Expressway to navigate between these two Northeast locations. Budgeting roughly $5 for fuel should cover your needs for the entire trip. Because the route is efficient and direct, it serves as a practical connection for those looking to reach their destination quickly rather than focusing on a multi-day sightseeing adventure.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 24.4 mi | 32m |
| Horseblock Road | 4.1 mi | 6m |
| Old Country Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Montauk Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| South Country Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Round Swamp Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Express Drive South | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Service Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 24.4 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plainview, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on this road
73 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn sharp left onto Old Country Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Country Road
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on Round Swamp Road
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Round Swamp Road
4
Turn right onto South Service Road
185 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Service Road
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 495 East: Riverhead
6
Merge onto I 495
24 mi
·
32 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 65
Toward CR 16: Horse Block Road, Centereach, Shirley
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn straight onto Express Drive South
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Express Drive South
Toward I 495, CR 101: Yaphank, Riverhead
9
Turn slight right onto CR 16
4.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Horseblock Road
Use the right lane.
10
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Montauk Highway
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto CR 36
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Country Road
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
CR 36
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 31.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.9 miles from Plainview, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 30.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Old Country Road
Turn sharp left onto Old Country Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
South Service Road
Turn right onto South Service Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m 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
26.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward CR 16: Horse Block Road, Centereach, Shirley
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 65
Toward CR 16: Horse Block Road, Centereach, Shi...
6
30.7 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
CR 80 / Montauk Highway
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80 / Montauk Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.25 one way
$10.50 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $5.68 | $11.36 |
| premium | $4.92 | $6.18 | $12.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.04 | $14.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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.
Destination
Brookhaven, NY
Morning in Brookhaven on Tuesday
Local time
8:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
13 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
45m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is heavily highway-focused, with 77 percent of your time spent on major thoroughfares. You will spend a significant portion of your trip on the Long Island Expressway, which accounts for the longest uninterrupted stretch of 24.4 miles. Expect a consistent pace during this high-speed segment before transitioning onto local roads like Horseblock Road and Old Country Road. The personality of this drive is functional and utilitarian, prioritizing speed over scenic detours. You should anticipate a transition from the busier highway environment into the more localized road network as you approach your final destination.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.4 mi on Long Island Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Horseblock Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Old Country Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 31.9 miles you will encounter 9 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: near the start (Old Country Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (South Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (I 495 / Long Island Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
159 ft
9 ft
Total Climb
45 ft
Total Descent
185 ft
Highest Point
159 ft
~2.3 mi in
Elevation Range
150 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Plainview, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Centereach, Shirley, Cr 101: Yaphank and Riverhead.
Centereach
26.1 mi in
|
~36m
Shirley
26.1 mi in
|
~36m
Cr 101: Yaphank
26.4 mi in
|
~36m
|
via Express Drive South
Riverhead
26.4 mi in
|
~36m
|
via Express Drive South
About the Cities
Starting in Plainview, NY
Full guide →Plainview is a hamlet in South Oyster Bay in New York.
Arriving in Brookhaven, NY
Full guide →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
- • Wardenclyffe Tower — early experimental wireless transmission station designed and built by Nikola Te...
- • West Meadow Beach Historic District — historic district in the United States
- • Stony Brook Grist Mill — watermill
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 45m. Total distance: 31.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m 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 24.4 miles on Long Island Expressway. 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: near the start (Old Country Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles (South Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles (I 495 / Long Island Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Fire Island National Seashore, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and General Grant National Memorial (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 Brookhaven, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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