Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
36.9 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Richmond Hill, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Islip, NY
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Richmond Hill, NY to Islip, NY covers 36.9 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Sunrise Highway, Van Wyck Expressway, Belt Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26.1 miles on Sunrise Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.07 one way before food or hotel costs.
Founded 1683
Islip (pronounced "ICE-lip") is a town on Long Island in the state of New York. Located within Suffolk County, the Town of Islip includes the villages of Brightwaters, Islandia, Ocean Beach and Saltaire. It also includes numerous hamlets including Bay Shore and Sayville which are ferry terminals for Fire Island. Other prominent communities are Bayport, Brentwood, Central Islip, Hauppauge, Islip village (the town seat), and Ronkonkoma.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 36.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m 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.
Expect a 53m drive with frequent turns across 36.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
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 1 miles in near I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway.
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 36.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1 miles (I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Merge onto I 678 / Van Wyck Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward NY 27 East: Eastern Long Island, Belt Parkway East, South Conduit Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NY 27: Sunrise Highway, Brookville Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward CR 13: Fifth Avenue, Bay Shore, Brentwood
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Richmond Hill, NY and Islip, NY, road signs point toward Terminals 7 8, Belt Parkway East, Eastern Long Island, Bay Shore and Brentwood.
Terminals 7 8
Belt Parkway East
Eastern Long Island
Bay Shore
Brentwood
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 26.1 mi | 34m |
| Van Wyck Expressway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Belt Parkway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| East Main Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| South Conduit Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| 3rd Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Jamaica Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Richmond Hill, NY and Islip, NY.
Start on Jamaica Avenue
Turn right onto Van Wyck Expressway West
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 678
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on this road
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto BP
Take the exit
Continue on NY 27
Continue on NY 27
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Sunrise Highway
Turn right onto 3rd Avenue
At end of road, turn straight onto CR 57
Continue on CR 57
At end of road, turn left onto NY 27A
Continue on Montauk Highway
Continue on NY 27A
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.4 mi from Richmond Hill, NY · 26m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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.
A short stop after about 36.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 18.4 miles from Richmond Hill, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Islip, 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.
Regular Gas
$6.07 one way
$12.15 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $6.57 | $13.14 |
| premium | $4.92 | $7.15 | $14.30 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.15 | $16.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.87 | $1.77 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.8 | 0 | $5.17 | $2.36 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Richmond Hill on Saturday
Local time
4:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Islip on Saturday
Local time
4:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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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