Virgil, NY to Brookhaven, NY is 276 miles and takes about 5h 46m via I 81 and Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $49 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, taking you from the Northeast region of the state down towards Long Island. The majority of the drive is on major highways, making it a straightforward trip. With only one recommended stop and a manageable duration, it's well-suited for a single day's travel.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
138 miles from Virgil, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 46m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 81
82.5 mi
1h 38m
Keystone Shortway
80 mi
1h 37m
Long Island Expressway
43.5 mi
59m
I 380
23.6 mi
25m
State Route 392
7.1 mi
10m
Cross Bronx Expressway
6.6 mi
8m
Christopher Columbus Highway
5.5 mi
5m
US 11
4.4 mi
6m
Longest stretch:
I 81
— 82.5 mi, about 1h 38m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 336 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,190 veh/hr typical
· worst 4,979
Quietest
1 AM
~446 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 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 Virgil, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on NY 392
7.1 mi·10 min·State Route 392
2
At end of road, turn right onto US 11
4.4 mi·6 min·US 11
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·45 sec
Toward I 81 South
4
Merge onto I 81
29 mi·35 min·I 81
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 81
53 mi·1 hr 3 min·I 81
Toward I 81 South: ScrantonUse the straight lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6
0.8 mi·1 min·US 6
Exit 187Toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbondale, Mt PoconoUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on I 84; I 380
3.7 mi·4 min·I 84; I 380
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South: Mount Pocono, MilfordUse the straight lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380
24 mi·25 min·I 380
Exit 4Toward I 380 South: Mount Pocono
9
Keep slight left at fork
1.0 mi·1 min
Exit 1BToward I 80 East: Stroudsburg
10
Merge onto I 80
80 mi·1 hr 37 min·Keystone Shortway
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi·5 min·Christopher Columbus Highway
Toward I 95: George Washington Bridge Lower LevelUse the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·23 sec
Toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, New York CityUse the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi·38 sec
Exit 70A-BToward Leonia, TeaneckUse the slight right lane.
14
Turn right
0.2 mi·35 sec
Exit 70AToward LeoniaUse the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn straight onto CR 56
454 ft·9 sec·Degraw Avenue
16
Continue on CR 56
1.1 mi·2 min·Fort Lee Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Continue on CR 56
469 ft·13 sec·Main Street
18
Take the ramp
472 ft·12 sec
Toward George Washington Bridge
19
Merge onto US 1; US 9; US 46
0.3 mi·28 sec·Bergen Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
312 ft·4 sec
Toward George Washington Bridge Upper Level
21
Merge onto I 95 EXPR
0.3 mi·20 sec·I 95 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR
0.8 mi·1 min·I 95 EXPR
23
Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9
0.6 mi·1 min·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
25
Continue on I 95; US 1
4.7 mi·6 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
2.0 mi·2 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6BToward I 295 South: Throgs Neck BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
27
Merge onto I 295
0.6 mi·58 sec·Throgs Neck Expressway
28
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Continue on I 295
3.2 mi·3 min·Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 4E-WToward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long IslandUse the straight / slight right lanes.
31
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·38 sec
Exit 4EToward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
32
Merge onto I 495
43 mi·59 min·Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 65Toward CR 16: Horse Block Road, Centereach, ShirleyUse the straight / slight right lanes.
34
Turn straight onto Express Drive South
0.2 mi·21 sec·Express Drive South
Toward I 495, CR 101: Yaphank, Riverhead
35
Turn slight right onto CR 16
4.1 mi·6 min·Horseblock Road
Use the right lane.
36
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80
0.9 mi·1 min·Montauk Highway
Use the right lane.
37
Turn left onto CR 36
0.4 mi·50 sec·South Country Road
Use the left lane.
38
Arrive at destination
CR 36
Trip Plan
Since this trip is under six hours, leaving Virgil, NY in the morning allows ample time to reach Brookhaven, NY before evening. You'll want to account for potential traffic as you get closer to Long Island, especially during peak hours. While only one stop is recommended, be aware that the longest stretch without a break is 82.5 miles on I 81, so plan your fuel and rest stops accordingly. Consider filling up your tank before heading onto the Long Island Expressway, as fuel costs can sometimes be higher on the island.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 138 miles from Virgil, NY, or about 2h 46m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 82.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 61 miles or 1h 16m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 138 miles or 2h 46m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 37m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brookhaven, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Virgil, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Virgil, NY
This is one driving day of about 276 miles and 5h 46m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 61 miles from Virgil, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on I 81 for about 82.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 28
5 decision points cluster between mile 94.3 and 226.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
94.3 mi into trip|~1h 56m in|US 6
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6 toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbondale, Mt Pocono
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 187
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbo...
8
208.9 mi into trip|~4h 12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, Ne...
9
209.1 mi into trip|~4h 12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Leonia, Teaneck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 70A-B
Toward Leonia, Teaneck
8
218.6 mi into trip|~4h 26m in|I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
8
226.3 mi into trip|~4h 37m in
Take the exit toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
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 4E-W
Toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$48.31 one way
$96.62 round trip
$4.45/gal25.4 MPG avg97 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.82
$52.35
$104.71
premium
$5.23
$56.83
$113.66
diesel
$6.28
$68.20
$136.39
Estimated Tolls: $22.55
George Washington Bridge
$16.00
Throgs Neck Bridge
$6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$48
Tolls
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$96–$121
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 96.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
EV Charging Along Route
27 DC fast chargers
· Coverage: excellent
Tannersville, PA - PA 611 - Tesla Supercharger
Tannersville, PA
Tesla
16 DCFC
Johnson City, NY - Tesla Supercharger
Johnson City, NY
Tesla
12 DCFC
Kirkwood, NY - Tesla Supercharger
Kirkwood, NY
Tesla
12 DCFC
Allamuchy, NJ - Tesla Supercharger
Allamuchy, NJ
Tesla
12 DCFC
Scranton, PA Rechargery @ Sheetz - Scranton Carbondale Hwy
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $29 in charging
· 1 stop
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
82.8
1
$28.98
$13.25
Efficient EV
69
0
$24.15
$11.04
EV Truck/SUV
110.4
1
$38.64
$17.66
Gas CO2
97 kg
EV CO2
32 kg (67% less)
Plan for 1 charging stop. A 30-minute DC fast charge mid-route should be enough to complete the trip comfortably.
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.
Forecast as of Oct 24, 2026
Origin
Virgil, NY
Evening
in Virgil on Saturday
Local time
5:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Sunny
SW 3 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Brookhaven, NY
Evening
in Brookhaven on Saturday
Local time
5:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Mostly Sunny
W 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
5h 46m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
General Grant National Memorial
National Memorial
The final resting place of President Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia, is the largest mausoleum in North America. It testifies to a people’s gratitude for the man who ended the bloodiest conflict...
4 mi from route
~11 min detour
Free
near mile 209.4
Caution: Lower Crypt Access Subject to Safe Conditions
Merchant’s clerk, Revolutionary War soldier, first Secretary Treasury of the United States: Alexander Hamilton’s life is memorialized at The Grange, the home he built on a country estate in uptown Man...
4 mi from route
~11 min detour
Free
near mile 209.4
Immerse yourself in an enchanting collage of coastal life and history. Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife, Fire Island has been a special...
Before the 1960s, almost everything about living authentically as a lesbian, a bisexual person or a gay man was illegal. The Stonewall Uprising on June 28, 1969 is a milestone in the quest for civil r...
9 mi from route
~23 min detour
Free
near mile 209.4
The African Burial Ground stands as the oldest and largest known excavated burial site in North America for both free and enslaved Africans. It offers a profound testament to the enduring legacy of Af...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 209.4
Located at the southern tip of Manhattan, Castle Clinton marks the place where New York City began and reflects the growth of both the city and the nation. Built to defend the harbor during the War of...
11 mi from route
~28 min detour
Free
near mile 209.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll be on highways for about 64% of this 276-mile trip. Expect to cover a longest stretch of 82.5 miles on I 81 before transitioning to other main roads like the Keystone Shortway and eventually the Long Island Expressway. This means you'll experience extended periods of highway cruising. The transition from more rural highway sections to the denser traffic patterns of Long Island will be noticeable as you approach your destination.
64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
38 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 82.5 mi on I 81.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 81 and Keystone Shortway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 94.3 miles in near US 6.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 28 significant decision points across 276 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 94.3 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 208.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 209.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,861 ft9 ft
Total Climb
1,069 ft
Total Descent
2,467 ft
Highest Point
1,861 ft
~118.3 mi in
Elevation Range
1,852 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Virgil, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Mt Pocono, Milford, New York City, Leonia, Teaneck and George Washington Bridge Upper Level - among others.
Brookhaven is the largest town in Suffolk County, part of Long Island, New York. With 485,000 residents (2020). It includes a patchwork of villages and other communities, and is the only town on the island to touch both the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean. The villages of Belle Terre, Bellport, Lake Grove, Mastic Beach, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Port Jefferson, and Shoreham are semi-autonomous, and provide their own services in addition to those provided by the town. Other prominent communities include Mount Sinai, Stony Brook, and Fire Island, a long and car-free resort island off the south coast of the town.
Top landmarks
•Wardenclyffe Tower — early experimental wireless transmission station designed and built by Nikola Te...
•West Meadow Beach Historic District — historic district in the United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 46m. Total distance: 276 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 82.5 miles on I 81. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $22.55 in tolls one way, starting with George Washington Bridge. 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.
Yes — we found about 25 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Brookhaven, NY before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. There are 25 rest areas along the route for bathroom stops.
The main spots that need attention: at 94.3 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 208.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 209.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and Fire Island National Seashore (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Not recommended in a single day. At 5.8 hours each way, a round trip means 11.6 hours of driving — that is an unsafe level of fatigue for most drivers. Plan at least one night at Brookhaven, NY before the return drive.
