Origin
Richmond Hill, NY
Morning in Richmond Hill on Tuesday
Local time
7:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richmond Hill, NY to Hempstead, 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
23m
Distance
15.6 mi
25 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richmond Hill, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Richmond Hill, NY to Hempstead, NY is 15.6 miles and takes about 23m via Southern State Parkway, Belt Parkway, and Van Wyck Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New York, making it a straightforward drive. Given its highway-focused profile and under 30-minute duration, it's ideal for a quick commute or an easy transfer between points. You'll be navigating primarily on well-traveled parkways and expressways in a busy metropolitan area. Consider this route if you need to get from point A to point B efficiently without venturing onto local streets.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern State Parkway | 5.4 mi | 7m |
| Belt Parkway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Peninsula Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Jamaica Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Van Wyck Expressway West | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southern State Parkway
— 5.4 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond Hill, NY and Hempstead, NY.
1
Start on Jamaica Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Jamaica Avenue
2
Turn right onto Van Wyck Expressway West
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway West
3
Take the ramp
345 ft
·
8 sec
4
Merge onto I 678
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
274 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Terminals 7 8
6
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
this road
Exit 1E
Toward NY 27 East, NY 878 East: South Conduit Avenue, Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island, Nassau Expressway
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 1E
Toward NY 27 East: Eastern Long Island, Belt Parkway East, South Conduit Avenue
Use the slight left lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto BP
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
5.4 mi
·
7 min
·
Southern State Parkway
Exit 25A
Toward Southern State Parkway, Eastern Long Island
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 19S
Toward Peninsula Boulevard South, Rockville Centre
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn left
24 ft
·
3 sec
13
Turn left onto Peninsula Boulevard
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Peninsula Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
14
Arrive at destination
Peninsula Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 13.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway
Merge onto I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
3.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NY 27 East: Eastern Long Island, Belt Parkway East, South Conduit Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 1E
Toward NY 27 East: Eastern Long Island, Belt Pa...
9
4.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
9
8.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
SO / Southern State Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway toward Southern State Parkway, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 25A
Toward Southern State Parkway, Eastern Long Isl...
8
13.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward Peninsula Boulevard South, Rockville Centre
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 19S
Toward Peninsula Boulevard South, Rockville Cen...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.57 one way
$5.14 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.78 | $5.55 |
| premium | $4.92 | $3.02 | $6.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.44 | $6.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.64 | $0.75 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Hempstead, NY
Morning in Hempstead on Tuesday
Local time
7:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Partly Sunny
S 12 mph
2% chance
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
36 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
23m 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?
This drive is heavily focused on highways, with 78% of the journey on these faster roads. You'll experience stretches like the 5.4 miles on the Southern State Parkway, offering a consistent pace. The personality of this route is defined by its expressway nature, connecting you via the Belt Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway. Expect a driving experience characterized by moderate to heavy traffic typical of metropolitan parkways, with limited opportunities for scenic detours. It's a practical transit rather than a leisurely cruise.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.4 mi on Southern State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern State Parkway and Belt Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 12 decision points packed into just 15.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 23m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Richmond Hill, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward Terminals 7 8, Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island, Peninsula Boulevard South and Rockville Centre.
Terminals 7 8
3.5 mi in
|
~5m
Belt Parkway East
3.6 mi in
|
~5m
Eastern Long Island
3.6 mi in
|
~5m
Peninsula Boulevard South
13.9 mi in
|
~20m
Rockville Centre
13.9 mi in
|
~20m
About the Cities
Starting in Richmond Hill, NY
Full guide →Founded 1868
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 23m. Total distance: 15.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.4 miles on Southern State Parkway. 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 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 1 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — African Burial Ground National Monument, Federal Hall National Memorial and Gateway National Recreation Area (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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