Origin
Vestal, NY
Morning in Vestal on Friday
Local time
11:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Vestal, NY to Brookhaven, NY
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
5h 12m
Distance
248.4 mi
400 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$41
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
4h 59m
★
6 AM
5h 13m
8 AM
5h 40m
10 AM
5h 22m
12 PM
5h 19m
3 PM
5h 23m
5 PM
5h 38m
8 PM
5h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Vestal, NY
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 248.4-mile drive from Vestal, NY to Brookhaven, NY is manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 5 hours and 12 minutes. You'll primarily navigate the Keystone Shortway and I-81 before transitioning to the Long Island Expressway. With a fuel cost estimated at $41, this route offers a straightforward journey through the Northeast region. The profile is described as a mixed drive, suggesting a blend of experiences as you travel. Given the duration, planning for one stop is recommended to break up the drive.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is possible, but it will make for a full day on the road.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
Midpoint
124.2 miles from Vestal, NY
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 2h 29m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 5h 12m. Total distance: 248.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
5h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 60% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter an 80-mile stretch on the Keystone Shortway, providing a significant period of consistent travel. As you progress, the road character will likely shift, transitioning from the open road feel of the Keystone Shortway and I-81 to the more consolidated traffic patterns of the Long Island Expressway. This progression means you'll experience varied driving conditions throughout the 5-hour journey.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 41 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Keystone Shortway is the longest continuous segment at about 80 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 66.7 miles in near US 6.
Driving Effort
10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 29 significant decision points across 248.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 66.7 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 181.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 181.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 29 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
9
66.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
|
US 6
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6 toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbondale, Mt Pocono
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 187
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbo...
8
181.3 mi into trip
|
~3h 38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, Ne...
9
181.5 mi into trip
|
~3h 38m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Leonia, Teaneck
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 70A-B
Toward Leonia, Teaneck
8
191 mi into trip
|
~3h 52m 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
8
198.7 mi into trip
|
~4h 3m in
Take the exit toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4E-W
Toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Vestal, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Mt Pocono, Milford, New York City, Leonia, Teaneck and George Washington Bridge Upper Level - among others.
Mt Pocono
66.7 mi in
|
~1h 22m
|
via US 6
Milford
67.5 mi in
|
~1h 23m
|
via I 84; I 380
New York City
181.3 mi in
|
~3h 38m
Leonia
181.5 mi in
|
~3h 38m
Teaneck
181.5 mi in
|
~3h 38m
George Washington Bridge Upper Level
183.8 mi in
|
~3h 42m
Eastern Long Island
198.7 mi in
|
~4h 3m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Keystone Shortway | 80 mi | 1h 37m |
| I 81 | 53.4 mi | 1h 3m |
| Long Island Expressway | 43.5 mi | 59m |
| I 380 | 23.6 mi | 25m |
| Southern Tier Expressway | 12 mi | 15m |
| Cross Bronx Expressway | 6.6 mi | 8m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 5.5 mi | 5m |
| Horseblock Road | 4.1 mi | 6m |
Longest stretch:
Keystone Shortway
— 80 mi, about 1h 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Vestal, NY and Brookhaven, NY.
1
Start on Front Street
103 ft
·
10 sec
·
Front Street
2
Turn left onto Main Street
243 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto NY 434
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Vestal Parkway East
4
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
5
Turn straight onto NY 26
516 ft
·
8 sec
·
NY 26
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
Toward NY 17 East: Binghamton
7
Merge onto NY 17
12 mi
·
15 min
·
Southern Tier Expressway
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 81
53 mi
·
1 hr 3 min
·
I 81
Toward I 81 South: Scranton
Use the straight lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
US 6
Exit 187
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South, US 6 East: Carbondale, Mt Pocono
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 84; I 380
3.7 mi
·
4 min
·
I 84; I 380
Toward I 84 East, I 380 South: Mount Pocono, Milford
Use the straight lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 380
24 mi
·
25 min
·
I 380
Exit 4
Toward I 380 South: Mount Pocono
12
Keep slight left at fork
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1B
Toward I 80 East: Stroudsburg
13
Merge onto I 80
80 mi
·
1 hr 37 min
·
Keystone Shortway
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto I 80
5.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Toward I 95: George Washington Bridge Lower Level
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 95 North: George Washington Bridge, New York City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 70A-B
Toward Leonia, Teaneck
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn right
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 70A
Toward Leonia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn straight onto CR 56
454 ft
·
9 sec
·
Degraw Avenue
19
Continue on CR 56
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Fort Lee Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Continue on CR 56
469 ft
·
13 sec
·
Main Street
21
Take the ramp
472 ft
·
12 sec
Toward George Washington Bridge
22
Merge onto US 1; US 9; US 46
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Bergen Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Take the exit
312 ft
·
4 sec
Toward George Washington Bridge Upper Level
24
Merge onto I 95 EXPR
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
·
I 95 EXPR
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 EXPR
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
I 95 EXPR
26
Continue on I 95; US 1; US 9
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
George Washington Bridge (upper level)
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Continue on I 95; US 1
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Trans-Manhattan Expressway
28
Continue on I 95; US 1
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Cross Bronx Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
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.
30
Merge onto I 295
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
·
Throgs Neck Expressway
31
Continue on I 295
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Throgs Neck Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
32
Continue on I 295
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Clearview Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 4E-W
Toward I 495: Manhattan, Eastern Long Island
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
34
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 4E
Toward I 495 East: Long Island Expressway, Eastern Long Island
35
Merge onto I 495
43 mi
·
59 min
·
Long Island Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
36
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 65
Toward CR 16: Horse Block Road, Centereach, Shirley
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
37
Turn straight onto Express Drive South
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Express Drive South
Toward I 495, CR 101: Yaphank, Riverhead
38
Turn slight right onto CR 16
4.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Horseblock Road
Use the right lane.
39
At end of road, turn right onto CR 80
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Montauk Highway
Use the right lane.
40
Turn left onto CR 36
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
South Country Road
Use the left lane.
41
Arrive at destination
CR 36
Trip Plan
To make the most of this 5-hour, 12-minute trip, consider an early morning departure from Vestal to avoid potential traffic, especially as you approach Long Island. With a recommended single day for this 248.4-mile drive, plan for one efficient stop to refuel and stretch. Keep an eye on your fuel levels, as the longest uninterrupted stretch is 80 miles on the Keystone Shortway. The estimated fuel cost of $41 should help you budget accordingly for this straightforward Northeast journey.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 124.2 miles from Vestal, NY, or about 2h 29m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 80 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 55 miles or 1h 8m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 124.2 miles or 2h 29m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 4h 10m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Brookhaven, NY than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Vestal, NY so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Vestal, NY
This is one driving day of about 248.4 miles and 5h 12m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 55 miles from Vestal, NY.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Keystone Shortway for about 80 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 124.2 mi from Vestal, NY · 2h 29m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
124 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 55 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 124.2 miles from Vestal, NY, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Keystone Shortway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 80 miles.
Arriving in Brookhaven, NY
The final approach into Brookhaven, NY usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Brookhaven, NY.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$40.89 one way
$81.78 round trip
$4.18/gal
25.4 MPG avg
87 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.52 | $44.21 | $88.43 |
| premium | $4.92 | $48.14 | $96.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $54.84 | $109.69 |
Estimated Tolls: $22.55
George Washington Bridge
$16.00
Throgs Neck Bridge
$6.55
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$41
Tolls
$23
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$88–$113
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 86.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $26 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 74.5 | 0 | $26.08 | $11.92 |
| Efficient EV | 62.1 | 0 | $21.74 | $9.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 99.4 | 1 | $34.78 | $15.90 |
Gas CO2
87 kg
EV CO2
29 kg (67% less)
Plan for 0 charging stops, roughly every 270 miles. Allow 25-40 minutes per stop at a DC fast charger.
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 Friday
Local time
11:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Ramapo, NY
124 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
2 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
5h 12m on the road
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Vestal, NY to Brookhaven, NY covers 248.4 miles and takes about 5h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Keystone Shortway, I 81, Long Island Expressway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 124.2 miles from Vestal, NY. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $40.89 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left. A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. Plan on a short reset every 3 to 4 hours to stay fresh behind the wheel.
This is a demanding drive. With 29 significant decision points across 248.4 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 66.7 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 181.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 181.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Vestal, NY and Brookhaven, NY, road signs point toward Mt Pocono, Milford, New York City, Leonia, Teaneck and George Washington Bridge Upper Level - among others.
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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