Origin
Elwood, NY
Morning in Elwood on Saturday
Local time
10:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elwood, NY to Hempstead, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
21.9 mi
35 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elwood, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
The drive from Elwood, NY to Hempstead, NY covers 21.9 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Northern State Parkway, Clinton Road, East Deer Park Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.7 miles on Northern State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.60 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Hempstead, NY
Full guide →Hempstead is the most populous town in America, with a whopping 700,000 residents, located on the South Shore of Nassau County, New York. The town is highly urbanized and fragmented, containing 22 semi-autonomous villages within its boundaries, and forty other neighborhoods. Garden City, encompassing the "Nassau Hub" region, has its own article. The other prominent communities in Hempstead include Floral Park, Hempstead Village, Valley Stream, Rockville Centre, Freeport, Merrick, and the Five Towns area.
Top landmarks
- • Mitchel Air Force Base — US Air Force base in Long Island, New York
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 32m. Total distance: 21.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 32m highway drive covering 21.9 miles, with most of the trip on Northern State Parkway and Clinton Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 15.7 miles on Northern 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 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Northern State Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 15.7 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
259 ft
55 ft
Total Climb
147 ft
Total Descent
271 ft
Highest Point
259 ft
~7.8 mi in
Elevation Range
203 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Northern State Parkway and Clinton Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near NY 25 / East Jericho Turnpike.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 21.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (NY 25 / East Jericho Turnpike): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (N / Northern State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
NY 25 / East Jericho Turnpike
Turn right onto NY 25 / East Jericho Turnpike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
N / Northern State Parkway
Merge onto N / Northern State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
17.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward M South: Jones Beach
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 31A
Toward M South: Jones Beach
8
18 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight left at fork toward M: Jones Beach
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 31A
Toward M: Jones Beach
8
18.9 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward West Old Country Road, Mineola
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 M1 W
Toward West Old Country Road, Mineola
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Elwood, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward N West: New York, M South: Jones Beach, M: Jones Beach and Mineola.
N West: New York
1.7 mi in
|
~3m
M South: Jones Beach
17.6 mi in
|
~24m
M: Jones Beach
18 mi in
|
~25m
Mineola
18.9 mi in
|
~26m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Northern State Parkway | 15.7 mi | 20m |
| Clinton Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| East Deer Park Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Clinton Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Elwood Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Meadowbrook State Parkway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Old Country Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Jericho Turnpike | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Northern State Parkway
— 15.7 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elwood, NY and Hempstead, NY.
1
Start on CR 10
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Elwood Road
2
Turn right onto NY 25
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
East Jericho Turnpike
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Keep slight left at fork onto CR 66
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Deer Park Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward N West: New York
5
Merge onto N
16 mi
·
20 min
·
Northern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 31A
Toward M South: Jones Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 31A
Toward M: Jones Beach
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on M
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
·
Meadowbrook State Parkway
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Exit M1 W
Toward West Old Country Road, Mineola
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto Old Country Road
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Old Country Road
11
Turn left onto Glen Cove Road
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Glen Cove Road
12
Continue on Clinton Road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Clinton Road
13
Continue on Clinton Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Clinton Street
14
Turn slight right onto Peninsula Boulevard
118 ft
·
8 sec
·
Peninsula Boulevard
15
Continue on Peninsula Boulevard
109 ft
·
7 sec
·
Peninsula Boulevard
16
Arrive at destination
Peninsula Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.21 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $3.90 | $7.80 |
| premium | $4.92 | $4.24 | $8.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.84 | $9.67 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.07 | $1.40 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Hempstead, NY
Morning in Hempstead on Saturday
Local time
10:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Mostly Cloudy
SW 10 to 17 mph
9% chance
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
31 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
32m 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 Elwood, NY to Hempstead, NY covers 21.9 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Northern State Parkway, Clinton Road, East Deer Park Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11 miles from Elwood, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.60 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 9 decision points packed into just 21.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (NY 25 / East Jericho Turnpike): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (N / Northern State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Elwood, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward N West: New York, M South: Jones Beach, M: Jones Beach and Mineola.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 55 ft to 259 ft elevation with about 147 ft of total climbing.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Gateway National Recreation Area, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and General Grant National Memorial. 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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