Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
43.3 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Yaphank, NY
Wikimedia Commons
This straightforward 43.3-mile drive from Hempstead, NY, to Yaphank, NY, is easily manageable in under an hour, making it a perfect day trip. You'll spend most of your time on major parkways and expressways, with an estimated fuel cost of around $7 for the journey. Given its brevity and highway-focused profile, this route is ideal for a quick transit between points in the Northeast region. No overnight stops are necessary, allowing for flexibility in your travel schedule.
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 43.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive, with 89% of the route utilizing major arteries like the Long Island Expressway and Southern State Parkway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.4 miles on the Long Island Expressway, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of your trip. This route is characterized by its efficient, high-speed travel, designed for covering ground quickly across Long Island.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Long Island Expressway and Southern State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.7 miles in near Jerusalem Avenue.
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 43.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles (Jerusalem Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 18.8 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
At end of road, turn left onto Jerusalem Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 495 East: Riverhead
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 East: Riverhead
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CR 21: Yaphank Avenue, Yaphank, Brookhaven
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hempstead, NY and Yaphank, NY, road signs point toward So East: East Islip and Kings Park.
So East: East Islip
Kings Park
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Long Island Expressway | 18.4 mi | 24m |
| Southern State Parkway | 16 mi | 19m |
| Sagtikos State Parkway | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Jerusalem Avenue | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| William Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Yaphank Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Front Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Merrick Avenue North | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Hempstead, NY and Yaphank, NY.
Start on Peninsula Boulevard
Turn slight right onto NY 102
Turn slight right
Turn straight onto William Street
At end of road, turn left onto Jerusalem Avenue
Keep slight right at fork onto Jerusalem Avenue
Turn slight right onto Merrick Avenue North
Take the ramp
Merge onto SO
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
Keep slight left at fork onto SA
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto CR 21
At end of road, turn left onto CR 21
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 21.7 mi from Hempstead, NY · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 21.7 miles from Hempstead, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Yaphank, NY if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Regular Gas
$7.13 one way
$14.25 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.71 | $15.41 |
| premium | $4.92 | $8.39 | $16.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.56 | $19.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13 | 0 | $4.55 | $2.08 |
| Efficient EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.79 | $1.73 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.06 | $2.77 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Hempstead on Saturday
Local time
9:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Yaphank on Saturday
Local time
9:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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