This 338.7-mile journey from Hempstead, NY, to Carroll, NY, will take approximately 7 hours and 39 minutes of driving time. Primarily utilizing the Keystone Shortway, Christopher Columbus Highway, and US 15, about 27% of this route involves highway driving. With a projected fuel cost of $56 and two recommended stops, this trip is well-suited for a single day of travel. The overall feel is a turn-heavy local drive, offering a more engaging experience than a typical interstate cruise. Since both your origin and destination are in the Northeast region, you'll remain within familiar territory throughout.
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
2 planned breaks
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
169.3 miles from Hempstead, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 3h 28m into the drive
.
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
Doable as a same-day drive at 7h 39m. Total distance: 338.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 2 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
7h 39m drive, plan rest stops for pacing.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' for most of this 338.7-mile route. While 27% of the journey is on highways, the majority will involve navigating local roads and junctions. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 100.3 miles on the Keystone Shortway, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before transitioning back to more varied road conditions. This route is designed for drivers who prefer a more dynamic driving experience with frequent changes in scenery and road type, rather than a monotonous highway grind.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 59 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Keystone Shortway is the longest continuous segment at about 100.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 24.9 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 35 significant decision points across 338.7 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 24.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 35 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
24.9 mi into trip|~37m 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
8
25.2 mi into trip|~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Hackensack
8
27.5 mi into trip|~41m in
Take the exit toward I 80 West: Paterson, 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.
Exit 69
Toward I 80 West: Paterson, Hackensack
8
196.8 mi into trip|~4h in
Take the exit toward US 15: Lewisburg, Williamsport
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 210A-B
Toward US 15: Lewisburg, Williamsport
8
215.9 mi into trip|~4h 28m in|US 15
Keep slight right at fork onto US 15 toward US 15 North: Mansfield
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 29
Toward US 15 North: Mansfield
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hempstead, NY and Carroll, NY, road signs point toward Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack, Hackensack, Williamsport and Liberty.
Upper Level
22.4 mi in|~34m|via I 95; US 1
Njtp South: Hackensack
24.9 mi in|~37m
Hackensack
27.5 mi in|~41m
Williamsport
196.8 mi in|~4h
Liberty
243.2 mi in|~5h
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Keystone Shortway
100.3 mi
1h 56m
Christopher Columbus Highway
68.2 mi
1h 20m
US 15
27.6 mi
31m
Grand Army of the Republic Highway
18 mi
25m
Steer Brook Road
16.6 mi
29m
US Highway 15
11.7 mi
16m
PA 49
10.6 mi
14m
Route 287
10.6 mi
18m
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 100.3 mi, about 1h 56m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hempstead, NY and Carroll, NY.
1
Start on Peninsula Boulevard
77 ft·1 sec·Peninsula Boulevard
2
Turn left onto Clinton Street
359 ft·17 sec·Clinton Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto NY 102
1.1 mi·1 min·Front Street
4
Turn slight left onto NY 24
2.0 mi·3 min·Hempstead Turnpike
5
Turn right onto New Hyde Park Road
0.4 mi·53 sec·New Hyde Park Road
6
Turn left onto Tulip Avenue
2.0 mi·3 min·Tulip Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left onto NY 25
0.7 mi·1 min·Jamaica Avenue
8
Turn slight right onto NY 25
1.2 mi·2 min·Braddock Avenue
9
Turn left onto NY 25
0.7 mi·1 min·Hillside Avenue
10
Turn right onto I 295
5.0 mi·5 min·Clearview Expressway
Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Through Neck BridgeUse the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
12
Continue on I 295
0.7 mi·1 min·Throgs Neck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
6.6 mi·8 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
Toward Upper Level
15
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.6 mi·59 sec·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
16
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
17
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.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP
0.1 mi·8 sec·I 95 EXPR; NJTP
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: HackensackUse the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi·29 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: HackensackUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
21
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
2.0 mi·2 min·New Jersey Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Take the exit
0.8 mi·1 min
Exit 69Toward I 80 West: Paterson, HackensackUse the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Continue on I 80
68 mi·1 hr 20 min·Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi·8 min·Keystone Shortway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight left at fork onto I 80
95 mi·1 hr 48 min·Keystone Shortway
26
Take the exit
0.3 mi·38 sec
Exit 210A-BToward US 15: Lewisburg, WilliamsportUse the slight right lane.
27
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi·40 sec
Exit 210BToward US 15 North: Williamsport
28
Merge onto US 15
2.6 mi·3 min·Westbranch Highway
29
Continue on US 15
12 mi·16 min·US Highway 15
Use the straight lane.
30
Continue on US 15
1.1 mi·1 min·Montgomery Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
31
Continue on US 15
0.6 mi·1 min·Hastings Street
32
Continue on US 15
0.4 mi·58 sec·Market Street
Use the left lane.
33
Take the exit onto US 15
0.2 mi·31 sec·US 15
Use the left lane.
34
Merge onto I 180; US 15; US 220
1.6 mi·2 min·Susquehanna Beltway
35
Keep slight right at fork onto US 15
27 mi·31 min·US 15
Exit 29Toward US 15 North: MansfieldUse the straight / slight right lanes.
36
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Exit 162Toward PA 414: Morris, LibertyUse the slight right lane.
37
Turn left onto PA 414
3.0 mi·5 min·Route 414
38
Keep slight right at fork onto PA 414
6.8 mi·11 min·Route 414
39
Continue on PA 287
11 mi·18 min·Route 287
40
Continue on PA 287
1.2 mi·2 min·Central Avenue
41
Turn left onto PA 660
0.3 mi·41 sec·Main Street
42
Continue on PA 660
0.9 mi·1 min·West Avenue
43
Continue on PA 660
1.7 mi·2 min·Route 660
44
Continue on PA 362
5.3 mi·9 min·Pinecreek Road
45
Turn left onto US 6
11 mi·16 min·Grand Army of the Republic Highway
46
Continue on US 6
1.7 mi·4 min·East Main Street
47
Continue on US 6
6.6 mi·9 min·Grand Army of the Republic Highway
48
Turn right onto PA 449
7.5 mi·11 min·South Brookland Road
49
Turn sharp left onto PA 49
11 mi·14 min·PA 49
50
Turn right onto PA 44
17 mi·29 min·Steer Brook Road
51
Turn left onto PA 44
0.6 mi·1 min·East Academy Street
52
At end of road, turn right onto PA 44
0.2 mi·22 sec·North Oswayo Street
53
At end of road, turn left onto PA 44
0.4 mi·46 sec·Ceres Road
54
Continue on PA 44
1.8 mi·3 min·Route 44
55
Continue on PA 44
2.3 mi·4 min·Ceres Road
56
At end of road, turn left onto NY 417
4.0 mi·7 min·Portville-Ceres Road
57
Turn left onto NY 305
0.6 mi·58 sec·Portville-Eldred Road
58
Turn left onto Barberton Road
1.0 mi·4 min·Barberton Road
59
Arrive at destination
Barberton Road
Trip Plan
Given the 7-hour 39-minute duration, starting your drive early in the morning is advisable to maximize daylight and minimize traffic. With only two recommended stops and a longest stretch of 100.3 miles on the Keystone Shortway, you can easily break up the journey. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the $56 estimated cost suggests you'll need to refuel at least once. The 'turn-heavy local drive' profile means staying attentive to navigation and road signs will be crucial for a smooth arrival in Carroll, NY.
Morning Departure
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Evening Departure
This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 169.3 miles from Hempstead, NY, or about 3h 28m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 100.3 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 75 miles or 1h 37m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 169.3 miles or 3h 28m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 6h
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Carroll, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Hempstead, 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.
+
Pick one backup stop option before the midpoint in case traffic changes your pacing.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Hempstead, NY
This is one driving day of about 338.7 miles and 7h 39m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 75 miles from Hempstead, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 2 real breaks rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Keystone Shortway for about 100.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 169.3 mi from Hempstead, NY
· 3h 28m into the drive
The midpoint is around 169.3 miles from Hempstead, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Keystone Shortway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 100.3 miles.
Arriving in Carroll, NY
The final approach into Carroll, NY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Carroll, NY.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Hamilton Grange National Memorial
National Memorial
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...
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...
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
~21 min detour
Free
near mile 23.4
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
~25 min detour
Free
near mile 23.4
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...
10 mi from route
~26 min detour
Free
near mile 23.4
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
~27 min detour
Free
near mile 23.4
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $36 in charging
· 1 stop
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
101.6
1
$35.56
$16.26
Efficient EV
84.7
0
$29.64
$13.55
EV Truck/SUV
135.5
1
$47.42
$21.68
Gas CO2
119 kg
EV CO2
40 kg (66% 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 Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Hempstead, NY
Night
in Hempstead on Friday
Local time
10:14 PM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Partly Sunny
S 12 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Carroll, NY
Night
in Carroll on Friday
Local time
10:14 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
42°F
Waverly, NY
169 mi in
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
21 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
7h 39m on the road
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Hempstead, NY to Carroll, NY covers 338.7 miles and takes about 7h 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Keystone Shortway, Christopher Columbus Highway, US 15. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 169.3 miles from Hempstead, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $55.75 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Start early — leave by 6-7 AM to arrive at a reasonable hour. This is a long drive — plan for a morning departure or consider splitting it into two days.
Plan about 2 meaningful breaks for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 35 significant decision points across 338.7 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 24.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Hempstead, NY and Carroll, NY, road signs point toward Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack, Hackensack, Williamsport and Liberty.
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.
