Origin
South Hempstead, NY
Morning in South Hempstead on Saturday
Local time
9:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Hempstead, 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
55m
Distance
40.4 mi
65 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Hempstead, NY
Mel Audelo
Trip Overview
The drive from South Hempstead, NY to Brookhaven, NY covers 40.4 miles and takes about 55m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Sunrise Highway, Southern State Parkway, Montauk Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.1 miles on Sunrise Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.65 one way before food or hotel costs.
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 55m. Total distance: 40.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from South Hempstead, NY to Brookhaven, NY covers 40.4 miles and takes about 55m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
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 40.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
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 18.5 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 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
18.5 mi into trip
|
~23m 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
18.7 mi into trip
|
~23m 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
19.8 mi into trip
|
~26m 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
39 mi into trip
|
~52m 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 South Hempstead, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Bay Shore Road South and Bay Shore.
Bay Shore Road South
18.7 mi in
|
~23m
Bay Shore
18.7 mi in
|
~23m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise Highway | 19.1 mi | 26m |
| Southern State Parkway | 18.1 mi | 22m |
| Montauk Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Bay Shore Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| South Country Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Grand 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 South Hempstead, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on Stratford Road
119 ft
·
12 sec
·
Stratford Road
2
Turn left onto Grand Avenue
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Grand Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward SO East
4
Merge onto SO
18 mi
·
22 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 20.2 mi from South Hempstead, NY · 26m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from South Hempstead, 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
$6.65 one way
$13.30 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $7.19 | $14.38 |
| premium | $4.92 | $7.83 | $15.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.92 | $17.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Morning in Brookhaven on Saturday
Local time
9:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°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
3 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
55m 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 South Hempstead, NY to Brookhaven, NY covers 40.4 miles and takes about 55m 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 20.2 miles from South Hempstead, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.65 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 40.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
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 18.5 miles (SO / Southern State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between South Hempstead, 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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