Origin
North Wantagh, NY
Late night in North Wantagh on Saturday
Local time
2:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Wantagh, NY to Brookhaven, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
34.3 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Wantagh, NY
Mel Audelo
Trip Overview
North Wantagh, NY to Brookhaven, NY is 34.3 miles and takes about 48 minutes via Sunrise Highway/Southern State Parkway/Montauk Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New York, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. The drive offers a mixed experience, suitable for a quick local excursion. With only 48 minutes of estimated travel time, it's an easy option for a day trip, allowing plenty of flexibility for your schedule.
About the Cities
Arriving in Brookhaven, NY
Full guide →Founded 1655
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
- • Stony Brook Grist Mill — watermill
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 48m. Total distance: 34.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route presents a mixed drive, with 35% of it on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Sunrise Highway, Southern State Parkway, and Montauk Highway, offering a varied driving experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll navigate is 19.1 miles on Sunrise Highway. Expect a combination of faster parkway travel and potentially more local road conditions as you progress towards Brookhaven.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Sunrise Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 19.1 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 0.6 miles in near SO / Southern State Parkway.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 13 decision points packed into just 34.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
SO / Southern State Parkway
Merge onto SO / Southern State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
12.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
SO / Southern State Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto SO / Southern State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
12.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Bay Shore Road South, Bay Shore
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 41S
Toward Bay Shore Road South, Bay Shore
5
13.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Sunrise Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto Sunrise Highway toward NY 27 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward NY 27 East
8
32.9 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward CR 21 South: Yaphank Avenue, Brookhaven
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 57 S
Toward CR 21 South: Yaphank Avenue, Brookhaven
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between North Wantagh, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Bay Shore Road South and Bay Shore.
Bay Shore Road South
12.6 mi in
|
~16m
Bay Shore
12.6 mi in
|
~16m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 19.1 mi | 26m |
| Southern State Parkway | 12.1 mi | 14m |
| Montauk Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Bay Shore Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Country Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Wantagh Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Howells Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Yaphank Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Sunrise Highway
— 19.1 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Wantagh, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on Wantagh Avenue
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Wantagh Avenue
2
Turn right onto Tally Lane
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Tally Lane
3
Take the ramp
338 ft
·
8 sec
Toward SO East
4
Merge onto SO
12 mi
·
14 min
·
Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto SO
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 41S
Toward Bay Shore Road South, Bay Shore
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn straight onto CR 57
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Bay Shore Road
8
Continue on CR 57
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Howells Road
9
Turn straight onto CR 57
341 ft
·
6 sec
·
Sunrise Highway
10
Keep slight left at fork onto Sunrise Highway
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Sunrise Highway
Toward NY 27 East
11
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward NY 27 East: Montauk
12
Merge onto NY 27
18 mi
·
24 min
·
Sunrise Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
492 ft
·
19 sec
Exit 57 S
Toward CR 21 South: Yaphank Avenue, Brookhaven
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn left onto Sunrise Hwy South Service Road
426 ft
·
15 sec
·
Sunrise Hwy South Service Road
15
Turn right onto CR 21
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Yaphank Avenue
16
Turn right onto CR 80
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
Montauk Highway
17
Turn left onto CR 36
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Country Road
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
CR 36
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.1 mi from North Wantagh, NY · 23m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.1 miles from North Wantagh, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Brookhaven, NY
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Brookhaven, 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.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.65 one way
$11.29 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $6.11 | $12.21 |
| premium | $4.92 | $6.65 | $13.30 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.57 | $15.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.3 | 0 | $3.60 | $1.65 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.00 | $1.37 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.80 | $2.20 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Brookhaven, NY
Late night in Brookhaven on Saturday
Local time
2:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
NE 2 to 6 mph
35% 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
7 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
48m 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 North Wantagh, NY to Brookhaven, NY covers 34.3 miles and takes about 48m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Sunrise Highway, Southern State Parkway, Montauk Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.1 miles from North Wantagh, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.65 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 13 decision points packed into just 34.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between North Wantagh, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Bay Shore Road South and Bay Shore.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Fire Island National Seashore, Gateway National Recreation Area 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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