Planning a trip from Lindenhurst, NY, to Albany, NY? This 179-mile drive will take you about 3 hours and 43 minutes, making it a very manageable one-day excursion. With 93% of the journey on highways, you'll experience a focused, efficient travel day. Expect a fuel cost of around $29 for this trip, which stays within the Northeast region. The route primarily utilizes NY 17 and the Southern State Parkway, offering a straightforward path north. This is a solid option if you're looking for a direct route with minimal fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
89.5 miles from Lindenhurst, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 57m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 43m. Total distance: 179 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
3h 43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 93% of the 179 miles spent on major roads. You'll navigate sections of NY 17 and the Southern State Parkway, experiencing a consistent pace. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 111.7 miles on NY 17, so be prepared for a significant period of sustained driving. While largely a highway experience, the transition between these main roads is generally smooth, keeping the focus on covering ground efficiently rather than intricate local navigation.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 48 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
NY 17 is the longest continuous segment at about 111.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NY 17 and Southern State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 23 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 33 significant decision points across 179 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 23 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 42 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 33 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
23 mi into trip|~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NY 24 West: Hempstead Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward NY 24 West: Hempstead Avenue
8
23.2 mi into trip|~31m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Hempstead Avenue West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Hempstead Avenue West
8
42 mi into trip|~58m 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
9
42.3 mi into trip|~58m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 4 West: Paramus
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 72A
Toward NJ 4 West: Paramus
8
49.3 mi into trip|~1h 8m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Lindenhurst, NY and Albany, NY, road signs point toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West, Grandstand, Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack and Gsp South - among others.
Cross Island Parkway North
21.4 mi in|~28m
Hempstead Avenue West
23.1 mi in|~31m
Grandstand
23.3 mi in|~31m
Upper Level
39.5 mi in|~54m|via I 95; US 1
Njtp South: Hackensack
42 mi in|~58m
Gsp South
49.1 mi in|~1h 8m
Gsp North
49.1 mi in|~1h 8m
Newark
49.1 mi in|~1h 8m
Mahwah
49.1 mi in|~1h 8m
New York State Thruway North: Albany
64.4 mi in|~1h 28m|via NY 17
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
NY 17
111.7 mi
2h 8m
Southern State Parkway
16.5 mi
20m
NJ 17
14.7 mi
18m
NJ 4
6.7 mi
9m
Cross Bronx Expressway
6.6 mi
8m
Clearview Expressway
5 mi
5m
Sunrise Highway
2 mi
2m
Throgs Neck Bridge
2 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
NY 17
— 111.7 mi, about 2h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lindenhurst, NY and Albany, NY.
1
Start on South Wellwood Avenue
1.0 mi·1 min·South Wellwood Avenue
2
Take the ramp
0.1 mi·18 sec
Toward NY 27 West: New York
3
Merge onto NY 27
2.0 mi·2 min·Sunrise Highway
4
Take the exit
0.1 mi·20 sec
Toward Huntington
5
Turn straight onto NY 110
1.4 mi·2 min·Broadway
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·20 sec
Toward Southern Parkway West, New York
7
Merge onto SO
17 mi·20 min·Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi·43 sec
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Whitestone BridgeUse the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto CI
1.3 mi·1 min·Cross Island Parkway
10
Take the exit
317 ft·9 sec
Exit 26BToward NY 24: UBS Arena-Belmont ParkUse the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
437 ft·12 sec
Toward NY 24 West: Hempstead AvenueUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·15 sec
Toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West
13
Keep slight right at fork
266 ft·8 sec
Toward Hempstead Avenue WestUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on this road
0.1 mi·13 sec·this road
Toward Grandstand, Hempstead Avenue West
15
Keep slight left at fork
100 ft·4 sec
Toward Hempstead Avenue
16
Turn right onto NY 24
1.0 mi·2 min·Hempstead Avenue
Use the right lane.
17
Turn left onto Jamaica Avenue
0.1 mi·17 sec·Jamaica Avenue
18
Turn right onto NY 24
0.7 mi·1 min·212th Street
19
Continue on I 295
5.0 mi·5 min·Clearview Expressway
Toward I 295 North: Clearview Expressway, Through Neck BridgeUse the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi·3 min·Throgs Neck Bridge
21
Continue on I 295
0.7 mi·1 min·Throgs Neck Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
6.6 mi·8 min·Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; US 1
0.7 mi·1 min·Trans-Manhattan Expressway
Toward Upper Level
24
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.6 mi·59 sec·George Washington Bridge (upper level)
25
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
26
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.
27
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR; NJTP
0.1 mi·8 sec·I 95 EXPR; NJTP
28
Take the exit
0.2 mi·22 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: HackensackUse the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·23 sec
Exit 72AToward NJ 4 West: ParamusUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
30
Merge onto NJ 4
6.7 mi·9 min·NJ 4
Use the slight right lane.
31
Take the exit
0.2 mi·26 sec
Toward GSP South, NJ 17 South, GSP North, NJ 17 North: Grand State Plaza, Newark, MahwahUse the straight lane.
32
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·36 sec
Toward NJ 17 North: MahwahUse the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Merge onto NJ 17
3.3 mi·4 min·NJ 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
34
Continue on NJ 17
7.3 mi·9 min·NJ 17
Use the straight / right lanes.
35
Continue on NJ 17
0.7 mi·50 sec·NJ 17
36
Continue on NJ 17
3.3 mi·4 min·NJ 17
37
Continue on I 287; NY 17
0.2 mi·10 sec·I 287; NY 17
38
Keep slight left at fork onto NY 17
112 mi·2 hr 8 min·NY 17
Toward I 87 North, NY 17 North, New York State Thruway North: AlbanyUse the straight / slight right lanes.
39
Take the exit
0.3 mi·50 sec
Exit 23Toward I 787, US 9W: Albany, TroyUse the slight right lane.
40
Continue on I 787
1.6 mi·2 min·I 787
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
41
Take the exit
0.2 mi·35 sec
Exit 4Toward US 9 North, US 20 West: Downtown AlbanyUse the slight right lane.
42
Turn straight onto Quay Street
0.2 mi·34 sec·Quay Street
43
Turn left onto NY 5
0.2 mi·42 sec·NY 5
44
Turn left onto NY 5
0.3 mi·51 sec·State Street
45
At end of road, turn right onto NY 5
182 ft·5 sec·Eagle Street
46
Turn straight onto NY 5
498 ft·19 sec·Washington Avenue
47
Turn left
30 ft·2 sec
48
Arrive at destination
Trip Plan
For this 179-mile journey, leaving Lindenhurst, NY, in the morning is your best bet to avoid heavier traffic, especially as you approach Albany, NY. Since it's a relatively short drive of under 4 hours, you likely won't need to split it, allowing for flexibility. Consider making your single stop around the halfway point to stretch your legs and refuel. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, as the longest stretch without a major town exit is over 111 miles on NY 17. Planning your departure time can significantly impact your overall travel time and stress levels.
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 89.5 miles from Lindenhurst, NY, or about 1h 57m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 111.7 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 39 miles or 53m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 89.5 miles or 1h 57m 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 3m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Albany, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Lindenhurst, 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 Lindenhurst, NY
This is one driving day of about 179 miles and 3h 43m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 39 miles from Lindenhurst, 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 NY 17 for about 111.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 89.5 mi from Lindenhurst, NY
· 1h 57m into the drive
The midpoint is around 89.5 miles from Lindenhurst, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before NY 17 if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 111.7 miles.
Arriving in Albany, NY
The final approach into Albany, 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 Albany, 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.
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...
4 mi from route
~11 min detour
Free
near mile 43.2
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $19 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
53.7
0
$18.79
$8.59
Efficient EV
44.8
0
$15.66
$7.16
EV Truck/SUV
71.6
0
$25.06
$11.46
Gas CO2
63 kg
EV CO2
21 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 15, 2026
Origin
Lindenhurst, NY
Night
in Lindenhurst on Thursday
Local time
11:12 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Albany, NY
Night
in Albany on Thursday
Local time
11:12 PM
EDT
Current temp
34°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Ramapo, NY
90 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
11 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
3h 43m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Lindenhurst, NY to Albany, NY covers 179 miles and takes about 3h 43m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are NY 17, Southern State Parkway, NJ 17. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 89.5 miles from Lindenhurst, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $29.46 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. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 33 significant decision points across 179 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 23 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 42 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Lindenhurst, NY and Albany, NY, road signs point toward Cross Island Parkway North, Hempstead Avenue West, Grandstand, Upper Level, Njtp South: Hackensack and Gsp South - among others.
