Origin
Port Washington, NY
Morning in Port Washington on Saturday
Local time
10:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Port Washington, 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
22m
Distance
12 mi
19 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Port Washington, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Port Washington, NY to Hempstead, NY is 12 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Port Washington Boulevard and Long Island Expressway, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, local drive primarily within New York's Northeast region. Expect a straightforward journey, ideal for a quick trip or as part of a larger regional exploration. Given the minimal distance and time commitment, this route is best suited for a same-day excursion.
About the Cities
Starting in Port Washington, NY
Full guide →Port Washington is a hamlet in Nassau County, on the North Shore of Long Island, in New York.
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 22m. Total distance: 12 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route offers a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile, meaning you'll navigate through various surface streets and intersections. With only 21% highway share, much of your time will be spent on local roads like Port Washington Boulevard and Clinton Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.3 miles on Port Washington Boulevard, so be prepared for frequent adjustments in speed and direction. This driving personality suggests a need for attentive navigation rather than a relaxed cruise.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Port Washington Boulevard is the longest continuous segment at about 2.3 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
223 ft
55 ft
Total Climb
155 ft
Total Descent
199 ft
Highest Point
223 ft
~3.4 mi in
Elevation Range
168 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Mackey Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 12 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Mackey Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (South Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Mackey Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Mackey Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
4.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
South Service Road
Turn left onto South Service Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
6.2 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward N East: Hauppauge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 38
Toward N East: Hauppauge
5
7 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
N / Northern State Parkway
Merge onto N / Northern State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
8.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Glen Cove Road South, Hempstead
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Glen Cove Road South, Hempstead
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Port Washington, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward N East: Hauppauge and Glen Cove Road South.
N East: Hauppauge
6.2 mi in
|
~11m
Glen Cove Road South
8.5 mi in
|
~15m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Port Washington Boulevard | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Clinton Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Long Island Expressway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Searingtown Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Northern State Parkway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Clinton Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Glen Cove Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Murray Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Port Washington Boulevard
— 2.3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Port Washington, NY and Hempstead, NY.
1
Start on Murray Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Murray Avenue
2
At end of road, turn right onto Mackey Avenue
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Mackey Avenue
3
Turn left onto Willowdale Avenue
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
Willowdale Avenue
4
At end of road, turn right onto NY 101
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Port Washington Boulevard
5
Continue on Searingtown Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Searingtown Road
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn left onto South Service Road
526 ft
·
10 sec
·
South Service Road
Use the left lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 495 East: Riverhead
8
Merge onto I 495
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Long Island Expressway
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 38
Toward N East: Hauppauge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
this road
11
Merge onto N
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Northern State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 31
Toward Glen Cove Road
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward Glen Cove Road South, Hempstead
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn straight onto Glen Cove Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Glen Cove Road
15
Continue on Clinton Road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Clinton Road
16
Continue on Clinton Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Clinton Street
17
Turn slight right onto Peninsula Boulevard
118 ft
·
8 sec
·
Peninsula Boulevard
18
Continue on Peninsula Boulevard
109 ft
·
7 sec
·
Peninsula Boulevard
19
Arrive at destination
Peninsula Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.98 one way
$3.95 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $2.14 | $4.27 |
| premium | $4.92 | $2.33 | $4.65 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.65 | $5.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.26 | $0.58 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
10:07 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
8 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
22m 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 Port Washington, NY to Hempstead, NY covers 12 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Port Washington Boulevard, Clinton Road, Long Island Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6 miles from Port Washington, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.98 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 10 decision points packed into just 12 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Mackey Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.5 miles (South Service Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Port Washington, NY and Hempstead, NY, road signs point toward N East: Hauppauge and Glen Cove Road South.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 55 ft to 223 ft elevation with about 155 ft of total climbing.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Hamilton Grange National Memorial, General Grant National Memorial and Stonewall National Monument. 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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