Origin
Richmond Hill, NY
Afternoon in Richmond Hill on Sunday
Local time
12:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Richmond Hill, NY to Rockville Centre, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
12.5 mi
20 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richmond Hill, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Rockville Centre, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
Richmond Hill, NY to Rockville Centre, NY is 12.5 miles and takes about 19 minutes via Sunrise Highway and Belt Parkway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip entirely within New York. It's a very manageable drive, perfect for a quick hop between two points in the Northeast region. You won't encounter any major geographical shifts, making it a predictable and easy option.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Belt Parkway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| South Conduit Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| Jamaica Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Van Wyck Expressway West | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Morris Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Maple Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Sunrise Highway
— 4.7 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond Hill, NY and Rockville Centre, 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
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 23B
Toward NY 27: Sunrise Highway, Brookville Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on NY 27
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Conduit Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on NY 27
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Sunrise Highway
13
Turn left onto Morris Avenue
0.1 mi
·
38 sec
·
Morris Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto Maple Avenue
44 ft
·
1 sec
·
Maple Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Maple Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 12.4 — 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
8
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward NY 27: Sunrise Highway, Brookville Boulevard
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 23B
Toward NY 27: Sunrise Highway, Brookville Boule...
6
12.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Morris Avenue
Turn left onto Morris Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.06 one way
$4.12 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.22 | $4.45 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.42 | $4.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.76 | $5.52 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.31 | $0.60 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.09 | $0.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Rockville Centre, NY
Afternoon in Rockville Centre on Sunday
Local time
12:34 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°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
1 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
19m 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 a mixed bag, with 39% of the 12.5 miles on highways like the Belt Parkway and Van Wyck Expressway. You'll experience a 4.7-mile stretch on Sunrise Highway, which transitions from expressway-like conditions to more of a surface street feel. Expect to navigate a series of exits and merges as you transition between these different road types within the urban landscape.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.7 mi on Sunrise Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 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 11 decision points packed into just 12.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 19m.
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 Rockville Centre, NY, road signs point toward Terminals 7 8, Belt Parkway East and Eastern Long Island.
Terminals 7 8
3.5 mi in
|
~5m
Belt Parkway East
3.6 mi in
|
~5m
Eastern Long Island
3.6 mi in
|
~5m
About the Cities
Starting in Richmond Hill, NY
Full guide →Founded 1868
Arriving in Rockville Centre, NY
Full guide →Rockville Centre is a village in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, on Long Island, in New York. Rockville Centre prides itself on its rich history, schools, beautiful neighborhoods and its busy business district.
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 19m. Total distance: 12.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.7 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 Rockville Centre, 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 Rockville Centre, 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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