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Trip from Tappan, 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

59m

Distance

39.1 mi

63 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 54m ★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

census designated place in Rockland County, New York, United States

Tappan, NY

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Tappan, NY to Hempstead, NY covers 39.1 miles and takes about 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Palisades Interstate Parkway, Cross Bronx Expressway, Clearview Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.7 miles on Palisades Interstate Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.44 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 59m. Total distance: 39.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 59m highway drive covering 39.1 miles, with most of the trip on Palisades Interstate Parkway and Cross Bronx Expressway. The longest continuous stretch is about 13.7 miles on Palisades Interstate Parkway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Palisades Interstate Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.7 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Palisades Interstate Parkway and Cross Bronx Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in near Palisades Interstate Parkway.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 39.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (Palisades Interstate Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.4 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31 miles (NY 25 / Hillside Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
1.2 mi into trip | ~2m in | Palisades Interstate Parkway

Merge onto Palisades Interstate Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
21.4 mi into trip | ~30m in | I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 6B Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge
6
31 mi into trip | ~43m in | NY 25 / Hillside Avenue

Turn left onto NY 25 / Hillside Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
36 mi into trip | ~53m in | NY 24 / Hempstead Turnpike

Turn left onto NY 24 / Hempstead Turnpike

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
38.8 mi into trip | ~58m in | Greenwich Street

Turn right onto Greenwich Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Palisades Interstate Parkway 13.7 mi 19m
Cross Bronx Expressway 6.6 mi 8m
Clearview Expressway 5 mi 5m
Tulip Avenue 2 mi 3m
Throgs Neck Bridge 2 mi 3m
Hempstead Turnpike 2 mi 3m
Braddock Avenue 1.1 mi 2m
Front Street 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Palisades Interstate Parkway — 13.7 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Tappan, NY and Hempstead, NY.

1

Start on CR 8

118 ft · 2 sec · Washington Street
2

Turn right onto Kings Highway

0.6 mi · 1 min · Kings Highway
3

Turn left onto NY 303

0.3 mi · 24 sec · NY 303
4

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 30 sec
Toward Palisades Interstate Parkway South
5

Merge onto Palisades Interstate Parkway

14 mi · 19 min · Palisades Interstate Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR

0.5 mi · 52 sec · I 95 EXPR; US 1 EXPR; US 9 EXPR
7

Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9

0.6 mi · 1 min · George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on I 95; US 1

0.7 mi · 1 min · Trans-Manhattan Expressway
9

Continue on I 95; US 1

4.7 mi · 6 min · Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 295

2.0 mi · 2 min · Cross Bronx Expressway
Exit 6B Toward I 295 South: Throgs Neck Bridge Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11

Merge onto I 295

0.6 mi · 58 sec · Throgs Neck Expressway
12

Continue on I 295

2.0 mi · 3 min · Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on I 295

5.0 mi · 5 min · Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Turn left onto NY 25

0.7 mi · 1 min · Hillside Avenue
Use the left lane.
15

Turn right onto NY 25

1.1 mi · 2 min · Braddock Avenue
16

Turn left onto NY 25

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Jamaica Avenue
17

Continue on NY 25

0.5 mi · 56 sec · Jericho Turnpike
18

Turn slight right onto Tulip Avenue

2.0 mi · 3 min · Tulip Avenue
Use the right lane.
19

Turn right onto New Hyde Park Road

0.4 mi · 56 sec · New Hyde Park Road
20

Turn left onto NY 24

2.0 mi · 3 min · Hempstead Turnpike
Use the left lane.
21

Turn slight right onto NY 102

0.8 mi · 1 min · Front Street
Use the right lane.
22

Turn right onto Greenwich Street

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Greenwich Street
Use the right lane.
23

Turn left onto Peninsula Boulevard

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Peninsula Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24

Arrive at destination

Peninsula Boulevard

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 19.6 mi from Tappan, NY · 28m into the drive

borough of New York City, New York, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

The Bronx, NY

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.

Popular next leg

The Bronx, NY to Hempstead, NY

20.2 mi · 35m

Pacing Suggestions

Mineola, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

The Bronx, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.6 miles from Tappan, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Hempstead, NY

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Hempstead, 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

$6.44 one way

$12.87 round trip

$4.18/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.52 $6.96 $13.92
premium $4.92 $7.58 $15.16
diesel $5.61 $8.63 $17.27

Estimated Tolls: $22.73

George Washington Bridge $16.00
Throgs Neck Bridge $6.55
Hempstead Turnpike (2 mi) $0.14
Jericho Turnpike (0.5 mi) $0.04

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$23

Total

$29

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.7 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 11.7 0 $4.11 $1.88
Efficient EV 9.8 0 $3.42 $1.56
EV Truck/SUV 15.6 0 $5.47 $2.50

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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Tappan, NY

Afternoon in Tappan on Saturday

Local time

1:13 PM

EDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Hempstead, NY

Afternoon in Hempstead on Saturday

Local time

1:13 PM

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

10 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

59m 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 Tappan, NY to Hempstead, NY covers 39.1 miles and takes about 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Palisades Interstate Parkway, Cross Bronx Expressway, Clearview Expressway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 19.6 miles from Tappan, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.44 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 15 decision points packed into just 39.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles (Palisades Interstate Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.4 miles (I 295 / Cross Bronx Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31 miles (NY 25 / Hillside Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Tappan, NY to Hempstead, NY does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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