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Trip from Pomona, NY to Hempstead, NY

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 13m

Distance

49.9 mi

80 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 10m

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

village in New York

Pomona, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Spanning 49.9 miles from Pomona to Hempstead, this trip typically takes about 1 hour and 13 minutes to complete. It is a straightforward journey within the Northeast, making it a perfect one-day excursion that requires no overnight stops. With an estimated fuel cost of just $8, the trip is highly budget-friendly for a quick regional commute. You will navigate via Highway 45, the Palisades Interstate Parkway, and the upper level of the George Washington Bridge. Because the total duration is quite short, you have the flexibility to plan your departure around your personal schedule without worrying about long-distance fatigue.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Palisades Interstate Parkway 24.7 mi 33m
Cross Bronx Expressway 6.6 mi 8m
Clearview Expressway 5 mi 5m
Tulip Avenue 2 mi 3m
Throgs Neck Bridge 2 mi 3m
Hempstead Turnpike 2 mi 3m
Braddock Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
Front Street 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Palisades Interstate Parkway — 24.7 mi, about 33m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Pomona, NY and Hempstead, NY.

1

Start on CR 86

0.5 mi · 1 min · Pomona Road
2

Turn left onto NY 45

0.2 mi · 24 sec · State Highway 45
3

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 36 sec
4

Merge onto Palisades Interstate Parkway

25 mi · 33 min · Palisades Interstate Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Merge onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.5 mi · 52 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
6

Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9

0.6 mi · 1 min · George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Continue on I 95; US 1

0.7 mi · 1 min · Trans-Manhattan Expressway
8

Continue on I 95; US 1

4.7 mi · 6 min · Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 295

2.0 mi · 2 min · Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6B Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10

Merge onto I 295

0.6 mi · 58 sec · Throgs Neck Expressway
11

Continue on I 295

2.0 mi · 3 min · Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on I 295

5.0 mi · 5 min · Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Turn left onto NY 25

0.7 mi · 1 min · Hillside Avenue
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto NY 25

1.1 mi · 2 min · Braddock Avenue
15

Turn left onto NY 25

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Jamaica Avenue
16

Continue on NY 25

0.5 mi · 56 sec · Jericho Turnpike
17

Turn slight right onto Tulip Avenue

2.0 mi · 3 min · Tulip Avenue
Use the right lane.
18

Turn right onto New Hyde Park Road

0.4 mi · 56 sec · New Hyde Park Road
19

Turn left onto NY 24

2.0 mi · 3 min · Hempstead Turnpike
Use the left lane.
20

Turn slight right onto NY 102

0.8 mi · 1 min · Front Street
Use the right lane.
21

Turn right onto Greenwich Street

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Greenwich Street
Use the right lane.
22

Turn left onto Peninsula Boulevard

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Peninsula Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23

Arrive at destination

Peninsula Boulevard

Where to Stop

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

census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, suburb of NYC

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Inwood, NY

25 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.

Popular next leg

Inwood, NY to Hempstead, NY

24.1 mi · 38m

Pacing Suggestions

Tappan, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Inwood, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25 miles from Pomona, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 49.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp

Navigation decision point

8
32.2 mi into trip | ~44m 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
6
41.8 mi into trip | ~57m in | NY 25 / Hillside Avenue

Turn left onto NY 25 / Hillside Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
46.8 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in | NY 24 / Hempstead Turnpike

Turn left onto NY 24 / Hempstead Turnpike

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
49.6 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in | Greenwich Street

Turn right onto Greenwich Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.21 one way

$16.43 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $8.88 $17.76
premium $4.92 $9.67 $19.34
diesel $5.61 $11.02 $22.03

Estimated Tolls: $22.73

George Washington Bridge $16.00
Throgs Neck Bridge $6.55
Hempstead Turnpike (2 mi) $0.14
Jericho Turnpike (0.5 mi) $0.04

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$23

Total

$31

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15 0 $5.24 $2.40
Efficient EV 12.5 0 $4.37 $2.00
EV Truck/SUV 20 0 $6.99 $3.19

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 14, 2026

Origin

Pomona, NY

Morning in Pomona on Tuesday

Local time

8:16 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Hempstead, NY

Morning in Hempstead on Tuesday

Local time

8:16 AM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy

SW 6 to 13 mph 16% chance Live forecast

Flood Warning

Flood Warning issued April 13 at 11:26AM EDT until April 15 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY

47°F

Inwood, NY

25 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

6 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 13m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind. While you traverse several key arteries, the highway share is 0%, meaning you will spend the majority of your time managing local road conditions and transitions. The route demands your full attention as you move away from the quieter streets of Pomona and navigate toward the busier traffic patterns near Hempstead. You won't encounter long, uninterrupted stretches of highway, so be prepared for constant adjustments in speed and steering. It is a practical, utilitarian drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel from start to finish.

82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.7 mi on Palisades Interstate Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Palisades Interstate Parkway and Cross Bronx Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in.

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 49.9 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 32.2 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.8 miles (NY 25 / Hillside Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in Pomona, NY

Full guide →

Founded 1967

Arriving in Hempstead, NY

Full guide →

Hempstead is the most populous town in America, with a whopping 700,000 residents, located on the South Shore of Nassau County, New York. The town is highly urbanized and fragmented, containing 22 semi-autonomous villages within its boundaries, and forty other neighborhoods. Garden City, encompassing the "Nassau Hub" region, has its own article. The other prominent communities in Hempstead include Floral Park, Hempstead Village, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Merrick, and the Five Towns area.

Top landmarks

  • Mitchel Air Force Base — US Air Force base in Long Island, New York

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 13m. Total distance: 49.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.7 miles on Palisades Interstate Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $22.73 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.

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 Hempstead, 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 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 32.2 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.8 miles (NY 25 / Hillside Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant 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 Hempstead, 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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