Origin
Plainedge, NY
Morning in Plainedge on Saturday
Local time
9:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plainedge, NY to Hempstead, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
13m
Distance
9.1 mi
15 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Plainedge, NY
Renan Tagliaferro
Trip Overview
The drive from Plainedge, NY to Hempstead, NY covers 9.1 miles and takes about 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Southern State Parkway, Hicksville Road, Nassau Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6 miles on Southern State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.50 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in Hempstead, NY
Full guide →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
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 13m. Total distance: 9.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 13m highway drive covering 9.1 miles, with most of the trip on Southern State Parkway and Hicksville Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 6 miles on Southern State Parkway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southern State Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southern State Parkway and Hicksville Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Iris Place.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 9.1 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Iris Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Iris Place
Turn left onto Iris Place
Navigation decision point
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m 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.
8
7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward Nassau Road, Hempstead, Freeport
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 21
Toward Nassau Road, Hempstead, Freeport
8
7.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Uniondale
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward Uniondale
5
7.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
Nassau Road
Turn right onto Nassau Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Plainedge, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward So West: New York, Freeport and Uniondale.
So West: New York
0.9 mi in
|
~1m
Freeport
7 mi in
|
~9m
Uniondale
7.2 mi in
|
~9m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southern State Parkway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Hicksville Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Nassau Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Greenwich Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Henry Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Peninsula Boulevard | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Iris Place | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southern State Parkway
— 6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plainedge, NY and Hempstead, NY.
1
Start on Hicksville Road
410 ft
·
23 sec
·
Hicksville Road
2
Turn left onto Iris Place
38 ft
·
3 sec
·
Iris Place
3
Turn right onto NY 107
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Hicksville Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward SO West: New York
5
Merge onto SO
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Southern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 21
Toward Nassau Road, Hempstead, Freeport
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
163 ft
·
5 sec
Toward Uniondale
Use the right lane.
8
Turn right onto Nassau Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Nassau Road
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on Greenwich Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Greenwich Street
10
Turn right onto Henry Street
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Henry Street
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto Peninsula Boulevard
64 ft
·
1 sec
·
Peninsula Boulevard
12
Arrive at destination
Peninsula Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.50 one way
$3.00 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $1.62 | $3.24 |
| premium | $4.92 | $1.76 | $3.53 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.01 | $4.02 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.96 | $0.44 |
| Efficient EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.80 | $0.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.27 | $0.58 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Hempstead, NY
Morning in Hempstead on Saturday
Local time
9:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
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
11 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
13m 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 Plainedge, NY to Hempstead, NY covers 9.1 miles and takes about 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Southern State Parkway, Hicksville Road, Nassau Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4.5 miles from Plainedge, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.50 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 9.1 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Iris Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Plainedge, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward So West: New York, Freeport and Uniondale.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Gateway National Recreation Area, General Grant National Memorial and Hamilton Grange 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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