Origin
South Hempstead, NY
Morning in South Hempstead on Sunday
Local time
6:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Hempstead, NY to Jamaica, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
13.9 mi
22 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Hempstead, NY
Mel Audelo
Jamaica, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
South Hempstead, NY to Jamaica, NY is 13.9 miles and takes about 21 minutes via Southern State Parkway/Belt Parkway/Van Wyck Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within New York, making it a convenient connection between two points in the Northeast region. You'll primarily be on highways, so expect a straightforward drive rather than a leisurely exploration. It's a quick hop that's easy to fit into a busy schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern State Parkway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| Belt Parkway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Grand Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Inwood Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Van Wyck Expressway East | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Stratford Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southern State Parkway
— 6.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Hempstead, NY and Jamaica, NY.
1
Start on Stratford Road
119 ft
·
12 sec
·
Stratford Road
2
Turn left onto Grand Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward SO West
4
Merge onto SO
6.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on BP
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Belt Parkway
6
Keep slight right at fork onto BP
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Belt Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto BP
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 19
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
11
Continue on I 678
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Wyck Expressway
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
504 ft
·
15 sec
Exit 4
Toward Liberty Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on Van Wyck Expressway East
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Van Wyck Expressway East
14
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Liberty Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto Inwood Street
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Inwood Street
16
Turn right onto Tuskegee Airmen Way
56 ft
·
2 sec
·
Tuskegee Airmen Way
17
Arrive at destination
Tuskegee Airmen Way
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 8.4 and 13.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
8.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
BP / Belt Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
10.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
BP / Belt Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto BP / Belt Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
11.2 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whitestone Bridge
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 19
Toward I 678 North: Van Wyck Expressway, Whites...
7
13.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Liberty Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4
Toward Liberty Avenue
7
13.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Liberty Avenue
Turn right onto Liberty Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.29 one way
$4.58 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.47 | $4.95 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.69 | $5.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.07 | $6.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.46 | $0.67 |
| Efficient EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
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
Jamaica, NY
Morning in Jamaica on Sunday
Local time
6:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°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
10 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
21m 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 route is heavily highway-focused, with 84% of the drive utilizing major parkways and expressways. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 6.5 miles on the Southern State Parkway, offering a taste of the highway's character before transitioning. The journey involves navigating the Southern State Parkway, the Belt Parkway, and the Van Wyck Expressway. Expect a driving experience dominated by faster speeds and efficient travel, typical of a highway-focused profile.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on Southern State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 8.4 miles in near BP / Belt Parkway.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 13.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.4 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.8 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in South Hempstead, NY
Full guide →Arriving in Jamaica, NY
Full guide →Jamaica is an expansive neighborhood located in eastern Queens. Historically consisting of predominantly black communities, Jamaica now is home to an extremely diverse array of peoples and cultures.
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 21m. Total distance: 13.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.5 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 Jamaica, 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 8.4 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.8 miles (BP / Belt Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Gateway National Recreation Area, African Burial Ground National Monument 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 Jamaica, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Jamaica, NY
More from South Hempstead, NY
More trips to Jamaica, NY
Explore more options from South Hempstead, NY or browse trips ending in Jamaica, NY.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NY road trips.