The drive from Brooklyn, NY to South Hempstead, NY covers 20.1 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Southern State Parkway, Belt Parkway, Linden Boulevard for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.5 miles on Southern State Parkway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.31 one way before food or hotel costs.
Brooklyn, the "Borough of Homes and Churches," is one of the five boroughs of New York City. It used to be a separate city, and still feels much like one. It has about 2.5 million inhabitants. If separated from the rest of New York City, Brooklyn would be the 4th most populous American city.
Brooklyn is on the westernmost point of Long Island and shares a land boundary with Queens, which partially encircles Brooklyn to the north, east and south; Manhattan lies across the East River to the west and north of Brooklyn, and Staten Island is across the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to the southwest.
Brooklyn is enjoying a period of growth and affluence not seen since before World War II. The Brooklyn Academy of Music boasts world-class theater performances, and the nearby Barclays Center is the home of the NBA's Brooklyn Nets.
Top landmarks
•Brooklyn Bridge — bridge in New York City, crossing the East River
•Brooklyn Museum — art museum in Brooklyn, New York
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 20.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 33m highway drive covering 20.1 miles, with most of the trip on Southern State Parkway and Belt Parkway. The longest continuous stretch is about 6.5 miles on Southern State Parkway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southern State Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.5 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
49 ft9 ft
Total Climb
57 ft
Total Descent
63 ft
Highest Point
49 ft
Elevation Range
40 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 0.1 miles in near Snyder Avenue.
Driving Effort8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 20.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Snyder Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East 31st Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.8 miles (NY 27 / South Conduit Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Snyder Avenue
Turn left onto Snyder Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|East 31st Street
Turn left onto East 31st Street
Navigation decision point
8
6.8 mi into trip|~13m in|NY 27 / South Conduit Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 27 / South Conduit Avenue toward JFK Long Term Parking, Kiss & Fly
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward JFK Long Term Parking, Kiss & Fly
9
13.1 mi into trip|~22m in|SO / Southern State Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway toward Southern State Parkway, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 25A
Toward Southern State Parkway, Eastern Long Isl...
7
19.5 mi into trip|~31m in
Take the exit toward South Grand Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 20S
Toward South Grand Avenue
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Brooklyn, NY and South Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward Jfk Long Term Parking, Kiss & Fly and Eastern Long Island.
Jfk Long Term Parking
6.8 mi in|~13m|via NY 27
Kiss & Fly
6.8 mi in|~13m|via NY 27
Eastern Long Island
7.1 mi in|~14m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Southern State Parkway
6.5 mi
8m
Belt Parkway
5.5 mi
7m
Linden Boulevard
3.8 mi
6m
Church Avenue
1.7 mi
3m
Nassau Expressway
0.8 mi
1m
South Conduit Avenue
0.7 mi
1m
Grand Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
East 31st Street
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 Brooklyn, NY and South Hempstead, NY.
1
Start on Nostrand Avenue
432 ft·24 sec·Nostrand Avenue
2
Turn left onto Snyder Avenue
269 ft·17 sec·Snyder Avenue
3
Turn left onto East 31st Street
0.1 mi·34 sec·East 31st Street
4
Turn right onto Church Avenue
1.7 mi·3 min·Church Avenue
5
Turn right onto Linden Boulevard
0.1 mi·18 sec·Linden Boulevard
6
Take the ramp
165 ft·5 sec
7
Merge onto NY 27
3.7 mi·5 min·Linden Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on NY 27
0.3 mi·25 sec·South Conduit Avenue
9
Continue on NY 27
0.8 mi·1 min·Nassau Expressway
Toward NY 27 East
10
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 27
0.4 mi·54 sec·South Conduit Avenue
Toward JFK Long Term Parking, Kiss & FlyUse the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi·58 sec
Toward Belt Parkway, Eastern Long Island
12
Merge onto BP
5.5 mi·7 min·Belt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
6.5 mi·8 min·Southern State Parkway
Exit 25AToward Southern State Parkway, Eastern Long IslandUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi·52 sec
Exit 20SToward South Grand AvenueUse the slight right lane.
15
Turn straight onto Grand Avenue
0.3 mi·48 sec·Grand Avenue
16
Turn right onto Stratford Road
119 ft·5 sec·Stratford Road
17
Arrive at destination
Stratford Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.31 one way
$6.62 round trip
$4.18/gal25.4 MPG avg7 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.52
$3.58
$7.16
premium
$4.92
$3.90
$7.79
diesel
$5.61
$4.44
$8.88
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging
· 0 stops
· 71% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
6
0
$2.11
$0.96
Efficient EV
5
0
$1.76
$0.80
EV Truck/SUV
8
0
$2.81
$1.29
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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 13, 2026
Origin
Brooklyn, NY
Morning
in Brooklyn on Saturday
Local time
8:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Partly Sunny
SW 8 to 16 mph9% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued April 13 at 12:55AM EDT until April 13 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Burlington VT
Flood Warning
Flood Warning issued April 13 at 12:22AM EDT by NWS Binghamton NY
Destination
South Hempstead, NY
Morning
in South Hempstead on Saturday
Local time
8:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°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
26 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
33m 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 Brooklyn, NY to South Hempstead, NY covers 20.1 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Southern State Parkway, Belt Parkway, Linden Boulevard. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.1 miles from Brooklyn, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.31 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.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 20.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Snyder Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (East 31st Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.8 miles (NY 27 / South Conduit Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Brooklyn, NY and South Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward Jfk Long Term Parking, Kiss & Fly and Eastern Long Island.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 9 ft to 49 ft elevation with about 57 ft of total climbing.
Yes. Nearby national parks include African Burial Ground National Monument, Castle Clinton National Monument and Federal Hall National Memorial. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
