Origin
Smithtown, NY
Afternoon in Smithtown on Sunday
Local time
3:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Smithtown, NY to Richmond Hill, NY
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 26, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
59m
Distance
40.4 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Smithtown, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Richmond Hill, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Smithtown, NY to Richmond Hill, NY is 40.4 miles and takes about 59 minutes via Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a fairly short trip entirely within New York, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its limited duration and mostly highway profile, it's a straightforward drive, best suited for a single day. The route is primarily on major arteries, making it a practical choice for commuting or a quick transfer.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 19.8 mi | 26m |
| Grand Central Parkway | 6.5 mi | 9m |
| Jericho Turnpike | 4 mi | 6m |
| Northern State Parkway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Sunken Meadow State Parkway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| North Service Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Jamaica Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Sagtikos State Parkway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Long Island Expressway
— 19.8 mi, about 26m
Traffic on I-495
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~4,880 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~521 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 24 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Smithtown, NY and Richmond Hill, 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
20 mi
·
26 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 36
Toward Searingtown Road, Shelter Rock Road
Use the slight right lane.
14
Continue on North Service Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Service Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto Shelter Rock Road
371 ft
·
14 sec
·
Shelter Rock Road
Use the left lane.
16
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward N West: New York
Use the right lane.
17
Merge onto N
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Northern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Continue on GCP
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 17
Toward 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
20
Turn straight onto Grand Central Parkway
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Grand Central Parkway
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
21
Turn left onto Main Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Main Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
22
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 678 South: Van Wyck Expressway, Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
23
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
24
Turn straight onto Van Wyck Expressway West
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway West
Use the straight / right lanes.
25
Turn right onto Jamaica Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Jamaica Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
26
Arrive at destination
Jamaica Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 7.5 and 39.3 — 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
28.3 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward Searingtown Road, Shelter Rock Road
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 36
Toward Searingtown Road, Shelter Rock Road
8
37.2 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Take the exit toward 168th Street, Parsons 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 17
Toward 168th Street, Parsons Boulevard
8
39.3 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Hillside Avenue, Jamaica Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.57 one way
$13.13 round trip
$4.13/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.47 | $7.11 | $14.21 |
| premium | $4.87 | $7.74 | $15.48 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $5.96 | $11.93 |
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
$7
Tolls
$0
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-20.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Richmond Hill, NY
Afternoon in Richmond Hill on Sunday
Local time
3:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
3 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
59m 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 mostly highway, with 88% of the total 40.4 miles on major roads. You'll encounter the longest continuous stretch on the Long Island Expressway, covering 19.8 miles. Expect the highway portion to conclude around mile 35.6, transitioning to surface streets for the final few miles into Richmond Hill. The high percentage of highway driving means you'll experience consistent speeds and frequent, dense exits.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.8 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 Grand Central Parkway. 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
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 18 decision points packed into just 40.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.
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 28.3 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.
Between Smithtown, NY and Richmond Hill, NY, road signs point toward Sm South: Bay Shore and N West: New York.
Sm South: Bay Shore
4.6 mi in
|
~7m
N West: New York
29.3 mi in
|
~41m
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 Richmond Hill, NY
Full guide →Founded 1868
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 59m. Total distance: 40.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.8 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 Richmond Hill, 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 28.3 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 Richmond Hill, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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