Knox, NY to Brookhaven, NY is 207 miles and takes about 4h 42m via New York State Thruway, with a fuel budget near $34 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region, offering a straightforward drive. Most of the journey will be on well-traveled highways, making it a practical choice for a single-day trip. You'll encounter a mix of driving conditions, but the overall experience is designed for efficient travel. Plan for this to be a manageable drive, especially if you're looking to get to your destination without significant detours.
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
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
103.5 miles from Knox, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 2h 22m into the drive
.
Brookhaven is the largest town in Suffolk County, part of Long Island, New York. With 485,000 residents (2020). It includes a patchwork of villages and other communities, and is the only town on the island to touch both the Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean. The villages of Belle Terre, Bellport, Lake Grove, Mastic Beach, Old Field, Patchogue, Poquott, Port Jefferson, and Shoreham are semi-autonomous, and provide their own services in addition to those provided by the town. Other prominent communities include Mount Sinai, Stony Brook, and Fire Island, a long and car-free resort island off the south coast of the town.
Top landmarks
•Wardenclyffe Tower — early experimental wireless transmission station designed and built by Nikola Te...
•West Meadow Beach Historic District — historic district in the United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 4h 42m. Total distance: 207 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
4h 42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route offers a mixed drive, with 54% of it on highways. You'll experience stretches of faster-paced driving, including a notable 70.5-mile segment on the New York State Thruway. Expect the road to transition between major interstates and state highways, requiring you to adapt your driving style accordingly. While not exclusively highway, the majority of the drive emphasizes efficient travel. The profile suggests a journey that balances speed with the necessity of navigating different road types.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 41 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
New York State Thruway is the longest continuous segment at about 70.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 119.1 miles in near NY 17.
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 207 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 119.1 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 120.5 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 149.6 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 28 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
9
119.1 mi into trip|~2h 40m in|NY 17
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17 toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 15
Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New Jersey
8
120.5 mi into trip|~2h 42m in|NJ 17
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17 toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 66
Toward NJ 17 South: Mahwah
8
149.6 mi into trip|~3h 22m in|I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 6B
Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
8
157.3 mi into trip|~3h 33m in
Take the exit toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
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 4E-W
Toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
8
157.5 mi into trip|~3h 33m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 4E
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, East...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Knox, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Gsp South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York and Eastern Long Island.
Gsp South: Paterson
134.6 mi in|~3h 1m
Fort Lee
134.6 mi in|~3h 1m
New York
134.6 mi in|~3h 1m
Eastern Long Island
157.3 mi in|~3h 33m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
New York State Thruway
70.5 mi
1h 21m
Long Island Expressway
43.5 mi
59m
State Highway 32
19.9 mi
29m
NJ 17
14.1 mi
18m
King's Highway
6.8 mi
9m
NJ 4
6.7 mi
9m
Cross Bronx Expressway
6.6 mi
8m
County Route 401
5.2 mi
9m
Longest stretch:
New York State Thruway
— 70.5 mi, about 1h 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Knox, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on CR 252
3.6 mi·8 min·Knox Cave Road
2
Continue on NY 157A
0.9 mi·2 min·Warners Lake Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto Thacher Park Road
0.4 mi·37 sec·Thacher Park Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto NY 443
3.5 mi·4 min·Helderberg Trail
5
Turn right onto NY 85
3.6 mi·5 min·Delaware Turnpike
6
Turn left onto NY 143
2.7 mi·4 min·New York State Highway 143
7
At end of road, turn left onto NY 143
186 ft·6 sec·NY 143
8
Turn right onto CR 401
5.2 mi·9 min·County Route 401
9
At end of road, turn left onto CR 405
0.7 mi·1 min·County Route 405
10
Turn right onto NY 32
11 mi·15 min·State Highway 32
11
Turn left onto NY 23; NY 32
1.1 mi·1 min·State Highway 23
12
Turn right onto NY 32
9.2 mi·13 min·State Highway 32
13
Continue on NY 32
6.8 mi·9 min·King's Highway
14
Take the ramp
0.3 mi·33 sec
15
Merge onto I 87
71 mi·1 hr 21 min·New York State Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto NY 17
0.9 mi·59 sec·NY 17
Exit 15Toward I 287 South, NJ 17 South: New JerseyUse the slight right lane.
17
Continue on I 287; NJ 17
0.5 mi·39 sec·I 287; NJ 17
18
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 17
14 mi·18 min·NJ 17
Exit 66Toward NJ 17 South: MahwahUse the slight left / straight lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.1 mi·19 sec
Toward NJ 4, GSP South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York
20
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward NJ 4 East: Fort Lee, New York
21
Merge onto NJ 4
0.3 mi·24 sec·NJ 4
Use the right lane.
22
Continue on NJ 4
6.4 mi·8 min·NJ 4
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Take the exit
0.2 mi·18 sec
Toward I 95 North: George Washington BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
24
Merge onto I 95 EXPR
0.7 mi·54 sec·I 95 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR
0.8 mi·1 min·I 95 EXPR
26
Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9
0.6 mi·1 min·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
28
Continue on I 95; US 1
4.7 mi·6 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
2.0 mi·2 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6BToward I 295 South: Throgs Neck BridgeUse the straight / slight left lanes.
30
Merge onto I 295
0.6 mi·58 sec·Throgs Neck Expressway
31
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
32
Continue on I 295
3.2 mi·3 min·Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 4E-WToward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long IslandUse the straight / slight right lanes.
34
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi·38 sec
Exit 4EToward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
35
Merge onto I 495
43 mi·59 min·Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
36
Take the exit
0.2 mi·27 sec
Exit 65Toward CR 16: Horse Block Road, Centereach, ShirleyUse the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Turn straight onto Express Drive South
0.2 mi·21 sec·Express Drive South
Toward I 495, CR 101: Yaphank, Riverhead
38
Turn slight right onto CR 16
4.1 mi·6 min·Horseblock Road
Use the right lane.
39
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80
0.9 mi·1 min·Montauk Highway
Use the right lane.
40
Turn left onto CR 36
0.4 mi·50 sec·South Country Road
Use the left lane.
41
Arrive at destination
CR 36
Trip Plan
Given the 4h 42m duration, this trip is comfortably achievable in a single day, so you have flexibility with your departure time. Leaving in the morning will allow you to reach Brookhaven with ample daylight. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is over 70 miles on the New York State Thruway, so plan your stops accordingly to avoid needing to refuel unexpectedly. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you approach the Long Island Expressway portion, as services can sometimes be more spaced out there. This route's single stop suggestion means you can be quite deliberate about when and where you take your break.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 103.5 miles from Knox, NY, or about 2h 22m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 70.5 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 46 miles or 1h 15m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 103.5 miles or 2h 22m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 3h 50m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brookhaven, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Knox, 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 Knox, NY
This is one driving day of about 207 miles and 4h 42m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 46 miles from Knox, 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 New York State Thruway for about 70.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 103.5 mi from Knox, NY
· 2h 22m 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 142.8
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...
3 mi from route
~7 min detour
Free
near mile 142.8
Immerse yourself in an enchanting collage of coastal life and history. Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife, Fire Island has been a special...
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 142.8
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 142.8
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 142.8
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $22 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
62.1
0
$21.73
$9.94
Efficient EV
51.8
0
$18.11
$8.28
EV Truck/SUV
82.8
1
$28.98
$13.25
Gas CO2
72 kg
EV CO2
24 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 18, 2026
Origin
Knox, NY
Late night
in Knox on Saturday
Local time
3:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Brookhaven, NY
Late night
in Brookhaven on Saturday
Local time
3:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
NE 2 to 6 mph35% chanceLive forecast
57°F
Ramapo, NY
104 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
10 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
4h 42m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Knox, NY to Brookhaven, NY covers 207 miles and takes about 4h 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New York State Thruway, Long Island Expressway, State Highway 32. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 103.5 miles from Knox, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $34.07 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break 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 28 significant decision points across 207 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 119.1 miles (NY 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 120.5 miles (NJ 17): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 149.6 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Knox, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Gsp South: Paterson, Fort Lee, New York and Eastern Long Island.
Yes. Nearby national parks include General Grant National Memorial, Hamilton Grange National Memorial and Fire Island National Seashore. 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.
