Origin
Smithtown, NY
Night in Smithtown on Saturday
Local time
10:47 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Smithtown, NY to Manhattan, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
49 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Smithtown, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Manhattan, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 49-mile drive from Smithtown to Manhattan, NY, is a straightforward, highway-focused journey that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 14 minutes. With 85% of the route on highways, it’s designed for efficient travel, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily navigate the Long Island Expressway, Jericho Turnpike, and Sunken Meadow State Parkway, covering a longest stretch of 35.1 miles on the Long Island Expressway without interruption. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $8, making it a budget-friendly option for getting from the Northeast region of New York to another part of the Northeast. This route prioritizes speed and directness, ideal for those looking to get to their destination quickly.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 35.1 mi | 48m |
| Jericho Turnpike | 4 mi | 6m |
| Sunken Meadow State Parkway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Sagtikos State Parkway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Queensboro Plaza | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Madison Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| 3rd Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 35.1 mi, about 48m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Smithtown, NY and Manhattan, NY.
1
Start on NY 25; NY 25A
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 25; NY 25A
179 ft
·
5 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Continue on NY 25
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Jericho Turnpike
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward SM South: Bay Shore
5
Merge onto SM
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Sunken Meadow State Parkway
6
Continue on SA
0.8 mi
·
49 sec
·
Sagtikos State Parkway
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit S1W
Toward I 495 West: New York
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 495 West: New York
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto LIE North Service Road
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
LIE North Service Road
10
Turn straight onto North Service Road
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
North Service Road
11
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 495 West: New York
12
Merge onto I 495
35 mi
·
48 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn straight onto Laurel Hill Boulevard
80 ft
·
2 sec
·
Laurel Hill Boulevard
15
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Hunters Point Avenue
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Van Dam Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Dam Street
17
Continue on Van Dam Street
113 ft
·
8 sec
·
Van Dam Street
18
Turn left onto NY 25
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Queens Boulevard
19
Continue on NY 25
0.7 mi
·
57 sec
·
Queensboro Plaza
20
Continue on NY 25
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge Lower Level
21
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25
317 ft
·
11 sec
·
NY 25
Toward 60th Street West
Use the slight right lane.
22
Turn left onto East 60th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
East 60th Street
23
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
3rd Avenue
Use the right lane.
24
Turn left onto East 72nd Street
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
East 72nd Street
Use the left lane.
25
Turn right onto Madison Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Madison Avenue
26
Turn left onto East 85th Street
507 ft
·
12 sec
·
East 85th Street
27
Continue on 86th Street Transverse
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
86th Street Transverse
Toward West Side
28
Arrive at destination
86th Street Transverse
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.5 miles from Smithtown, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 7.5 and 46.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
7.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 495 West: New York
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit S1W
Toward I 495 West: New York
8
7.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 West: New York
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 495 West: New York
8
43.6 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point Avenue, Greenpoint Avenue
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 16
Toward Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge, Hunters Point...
6
44 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
|
Hunters Point Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto Hunters Point Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
46.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
NY 25
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 25 toward 60th Street West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward 60th Street West
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.07 one way
$16.13 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $8.72 | $17.44 |
| premium | $4.92 | $9.50 | $18.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.82 | $21.64 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.28
Jericho Turnpike
(4 mi)
$0.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$0
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.1 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 | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.35 |
| Efficient EV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.29 | $1.96 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.86 | $3.14 |
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.
Destination
Manhattan, NY
Night in Manhattan on Saturday
Local time
10:47 PM
EDT
Current temp
88°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 3 to 9 mph
4% chance
Live forecast
49°F
North Hills, 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
40 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
1h 14m 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 predominantly highway-focused experience on this 49-mile trip, with 85% of your travel time spent on high-speed roads. The majority of this drive unfolds along the Long Island Expressway, which offers a consistent, uninterrupted stretch of 35.1 miles. While Jericho Turnpike and Sunken Meadow State Parkway provide some variation, the overall character is one of efficient transit rather than scenic exploration. You'll find yourself moving steadily, with minimal slowdowns, as you transition from Long Island's parkways and expressways towards the denser urban environment of Manhattan. The route is built for covering ground quickly.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35.1 mi on Long Island Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Jericho Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 49 miles you will encounter 17 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 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
On the drive from Smithtown, NY to Manhattan, NY, road signs begin pointing toward Sm South: Bay Shore along the way.
Sm South: Bay Shore
4.6 mi in
|
~7m
About the Cities
Starting in Smithtown, NY
Full guide →Smithtown is a town of 117,000 people (2016) in Suffolk County, on Long Island, in New York. Smithtown is comprised of the villages and hamlets of Commack (in part, with the Town of Huntington), Fort Salonga (in part, with the Town of Huntington), Hauppauge (in part, with the Town of Islip), Head of the Harbor, Kings Park, Lake Ronkonkoma (in part with the Town of Brookhaven and Town of Islip), Nesconset, Nissequogue, Smithtown, St. James, & Village of the Branch.
Arriving in Manhattan, NY
Full guide →Founded 1624
Wall Street. Madison Avenue. 34th Street. Broadway. Times Square. Manhattan is so well known that even the names of its streets have become iconic and understood the world over. This long, thin island is only one of New York City's five boroughs, but it's Manhattan that has the concrete canyons and the inimitable skyline; Manhattan that has the world's brightest theater district; Manhattan that has Central Park, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, and the Met; and Manhattan that includes iconic neighborhoods like Harlem, the Upper East Side, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The rest of New York City has much to see and do, but it's Manhattan that represents the city—and sometimes the entire United States—to the world. You could spend a month on this tiny island and still not see all there is to see.
Top landmarks
- • Empire State Building — skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA
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 14m. Total distance: 49 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 35.1 miles on Long Island Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.28 in tolls one way, starting with Jericho Turnpike. 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 Manhattan, 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 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Manhattan, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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