The drive from Babylon, NY to Veteran, NY covers 138.6 miles and takes about 2h 56m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NY 17, Southern State Parkway, NJ 17 for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 71 miles on NY 17.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $22.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
69.3 miles from Babylon, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 34m into the drive
.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 56m. Total distance: 138.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 56m highway drive covering 138.6 miles, with most of the trip on NY 17 and Southern State Parkway. The longest continuous stretch is about 71 miles on NY 17.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 42 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
NY 17 is the longest continuous segment at about 71 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NY 17 and Southern State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 24.7 miles in.
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 138.6 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 24.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 28 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
24.7 mi into trip|~33m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NY 24 West: Hempstead Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward NY 24 West: Hempstead Avenue
8
24.9 mi into trip|~34m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hempstead Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Hempstead Avenue West
8
43.7 mi into trip|~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
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.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
9
43.9 mi into trip|~1h 1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 4 West: Paramus
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 72A
Toward NJ 4 West: Paramus
8
50.9 mi into trip|~1h 11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Babylon, NY and Veteran, NY, road signs point toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West, Grandstand, Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack and Gsp South - among others.
Cross Island Parkway North
23 mi in|~31m
Hempstead Avenue West
24.8 mi in|~34m
Grandstand
24.9 mi in|~34m
Upper Level
41.2 mi in|~57m|via I 95; US 1
Njtp South: Hackensack
43.7 mi in|~1h 1m
Gsp South
50.8 mi in|~1h 11m
Gsp North
50.8 mi in|~1h 11m
Newark
50.8 mi in|~1h 11m
Mahwah
50.8 mi in|~1h 11m
New York State Thruway North: Albany
66 mi in|~1h 31m|via NY 17
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
NY 17
71 mi
1h 21m
Southern State Parkway
17.9 mi
22m
NJ 17
14.7 mi
18m
NJ 4
6.7 mi
9m
Cross Bronx Expressway
6.6 mi
8m
Clearview Expressway
5 mi
5m
Farmingdale Road
3.6 mi
5m
Throgs Neck Bridge
2 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
NY 17
— 71 mi, about 1h 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Babylon, NY and Veteran, NY.
1
Start on South Carll Avenue
68 ft·11 sec·South Carll Avenue
2
Turn left onto NY 27A
0.5 mi·51 sec·West Main Street
3
Turn right onto NY 109
0.9 mi·1 min·Little East Neck Road North
4
Continue on NY 109
3.6 mi·5 min·Farmingdale Road
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·25 sec
Toward SO West: New York
6
Merge onto SO
18 mi·22 min·Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Whitestone BridgeUse the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto CI
1.3 mi·1 min·Cross Island Parkway
9
Take the exit
317 ft·9 sec
Exit 26BToward NY 24: UBS Arena-Belmont ParkUse the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork
437 ft·12 sec
Toward NY 24 West: Hempstead AvenueUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·15 sec
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West
12
Keep slight right at fork
266 ft·8 sec
Toward Hempstead Avenue WestUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on this road
0.1 mi·13 sec·this road
Toward Grandstand, Hempstead Avenue West
14
Keep slight left at fork
100 ft·4 sec
Toward Hempstead Avenue
15
Turn right onto NY 24
1.0 mi·2 min·Hempstead Avenue
Use the right lane.
16
Turn left onto Jamaica Avenue
0.1 mi·17 sec·Jamaica Avenue
17
Turn right onto NY 24
0.7 mi·1 min·212th Street
18
Continue on I 295
5.0 mi·5 min·Clearview Expressway
Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Through Neck BridgeUse the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
20
Continue on I 295
0.7 mi·1 min·Throgs Neck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
6.6 mi·8 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
Toward Upper Level
23
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.6 mi·59 sec·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
24
Continue on I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
0.5 mi·48 sec·I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
25
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
0.6 mi·39 sec·I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP
0.1 mi·8 sec·I 95 EXPR; NJTP
27
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: HackensackUse the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·23 sec
Exit 72AToward NJ 4 West: ParamusUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
29
Merge onto NJ 4
6.7 mi·9 min·NJ 4
Use the slight right lane.
30
Take the exit
0.2 mi·26 sec
Toward GSP South, NJ 17 South, GSP North, NJ 17 North: Grand State Plaza, Newark, MahwahUse the straight lane.
31
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·36 sec
Toward NJ 17 North: MahwahUse the straight / slight right lanes.
32
Merge onto NJ 17
3.3 mi·4 min·NJ 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Continue on NJ 17
7.3 mi·9 min·NJ 17
Use the straight / right lanes.
34
Continue on NJ 17
0.7 mi·50 sec·NJ 17
35
Continue on NJ 17
3.3 mi·4 min·NJ 17
36
Continue on I 287; NY 17
0.2 mi·10 sec·I 287; NY 17
37
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 17
71 mi·1 hr 21 min·NY 17
Toward I 87 North, NY 17 North, New York State Thruway North: Albany
38
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
Exit 20Toward NY 32: Saugerties
39
Turn left onto NY 32
0.3 mi·36 sec·NY 32
40
Continue on Saugerties-Woodstock Road
430 ft·10 sec·Saugerties-Woodstock Road
41
Continue on State Route 212
0.9 mi·1 min·State Route 212
42
Arrive at destination
State Route 212
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 69.3 miles from Babylon, NY, or about 1h 34m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 71 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 30 miles or 42m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 69.3 miles or 1h 34m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 25m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Veteran, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Babylon, 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 Babylon, NY
This is one driving day of about 138.6 miles and 2h 56m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from Babylon, 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 NY 17 for about 71 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 69.3 mi from Babylon, NY
· 1h 34m into the drive
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
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...
3 mi from route
~7 min detour
Free
near mile 43
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...
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...
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...
Here at Federal Hall, George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of the United States, marking the beginning of the American constitutional republic. This historic site served as...
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...
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
41.6
0
$14.55
$6.65
Efficient EV
34.7
0
$12.13
$5.54
EV Truck/SUV
55.4
0
$19.40
$8.87
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 kg (67% 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.
Forecast as of Apr 14, 2026
Origin
Babylon, NY
Morning
in Babylon on Saturday
Local time
10:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Sunny
S 12 mph5% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued April 14 at 6:13PM EDT until April 14 at 6:30PM EDT by NWS Albany NY
Severe Thunderstorm Watch
Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued April 14 at 2:52PM EDT until April 14 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Buffalo NY
Destination
Veteran, NY
Morning
in Veteran on Saturday
Local time
10:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
34°F
Unavailable
Live 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
37 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
2h 56m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Babylon, NY to Veteran, NY covers 138.6 miles and takes about 2h 56m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are NY 17, Southern State Parkway, NJ 17. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 69.3 miles from Babylon, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $22.81 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 28 significant decision points across 138.6 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 24.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Babylon, NY and Veteran, NY, road signs point toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West, Grandstand, Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack and Gsp South - among others.
Yes. Nearby national parks include General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and Stonewall National Monument. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
