Hempstead Turnpike: The Nassau County Surface Alternative

The Problem

Nassau County has three main east-west highways: the LIE on the north side, the Northern State through the middle, and the Southern State on the south. When one clogs, drivers jump to another. When two clog, the third becomes a disaster. And on those days when all three are red on the traffic map — a rainy Tuesday afternoon in November, a Friday before a holiday weekend, or any day with a multi-car pileup on the Southern State — you’re stuck. The expressways are grid-locked, and every driver on Long Island is trying to get home at the same time. This is when you need to drop off the highway system entirely and use the surface street grid. And the single best surface street running east-west through Nassau County is Hempstead Turnpike.

The Shortcut

Hempstead Turnpike, officially New York Route 24, is one of Nassau County’s oldest and most important roads. It runs approximately 17 miles east-west from the Queens border near Belmont Park (Elmont) through Franklin Square, West Hempstead, Hempstead Village, East Meadow, Levittown, and into Farmingdale where it meets Route 110. It sits geographically between the LIE/Northern State corridor to the north and the Southern State to the south — almost exactly splitting the difference.

The move: When the expressways are showing red, exit onto Hempstead Turnpike. It’s accessible from almost anywhere in Nassau:

• From the LIE, exit at Route 106/107 south or Route 135 south, both feed into Hempstead Turnpike within a mile.
• From the Northern State, exit at Meadowbrook Parkway south to Hempstead Turnpike, or at Route 135 south.
• From the Southern State, go north on any major cross street — Peninsula Boulevard, Eagle Avenue, Wantagh Avenue — and you’ll hit Hempstead Turnpike within two miles.

Once on Hempstead Turnpike, head east or west as needed. The road is four lanes wide for most of its length (two in each direction) with a center turn lane in many sections. Traffic lights are roughly every quarter to third of a mile. You’ll average 20-30 mph depending on time of day. It’s not fast, but it’s predictable, and predictable beats sitting at zero on an expressway.

When to Use It

• When both the LIE and Southern State are red. This is Hempstead Turnpike’s niche. It’s not faster than a flowing expressway — nothing is. But when the expressways are stopped, Hempstead Turnpike keeps moving.
• Weekday evenings (5 PM–7 PM) for medium-distance east-west trips. Going from Franklin Square to Levittown? Hempstead Turnpike direct is often faster than the expressway-and-exit dance, especially during rush hour.
• When you need to make stops. Hempstead Turnpike is lined with every chain store, gas station, pharmacy, and fast food restaurant known to humanity. If you need to grab dinner, pick up a prescription, and get gas on the way home, Hempstead Turnpike lets you do all three without detours.
• During Southern State construction. The Southern State is perpetually under construction somewhere in Nassau. When lanes are closed between Exits 17-22, Hempstead Turnpike absorbs the overflow and still functions.

When NOT to Use It

• For long-distance trips. Hempstead Turnpike with its lights is not the answer for Manhasset to Babylon. It’s best for trips under 8-10 miles — the kind where the time spent getting on and off an expressway eats into any speed advantage.
• During Belmont Park events. The western end of Hempstead Turnpike runs right past UBS Arena and Belmont Park. Islanders games, concerts, and major racing events create gridlock from the Cross Island Parkway to Franklin Avenue. If there’s an event, start your Hempstead Turnpike run east of Franklin Avenue.
• Hempstead Village on weekend nights. The section of Hempstead Turnpike through Hempstead Village (between Fulton Avenue and Main Street) is chaotic on Friday and Saturday nights. Double-parked cars, heavy pedestrian traffic, and congestion around the bus hub. Budget extra time or plan to pass through before 7 PM.
• School mornings (7:30 AM–8:30 AM). Hempstead Turnpike passes multiple schools, and school zone speed limits drop to 20 mph with crossing guards stopping traffic. The stretch through East Meadow near Barnum Woods Elementary and through Levittown is particularly slow during morning drop-off.

Time Savings

Typical Thursday at 5:45 PM, Franklin Square to Levittown (approximately 8 miles):

Savings of 5-15 minutes vs. jammed expressways. Not transformative, but consistent. Over a week of bad commutes, that’s an hour of your life back.

The real savings are psychological. Moving at 25 mph with regular stops feels dramatically better than sitting at 0 mph watching your arrival time climb on the GPS.

Pro Tips

• Learn the light patterns. Hempstead Turnpike lights are coordinated in many sections. Between Wantagh Avenue and Newbridge Road, if you catch the first green at 30 mph, you’ll ride a green wave through four consecutive lights. Don’t speed and don’t crawl — match the wave.
• The Meadowbrook Parkway intersection is the worst. The intersection at Hempstead Turnpike and Meadowbrook Parkway (near East Meadow) is a complex interchange with multiple turn lanes and a confusing signal pattern. Stay in your lane and follow the signs. Don’t try to cut across at the last second.
• Use the Nassau Inter-County Express (NICE) bus lanes. Some sections of Hempstead Turnpike have bus lanes during rush hour. Do NOT drive in them — the cameras will ticket you. But the presence of bus lanes means the regular lanes are thinner, so keep your focus tight.
• Hempstead Turnpike becomes Route 24 officially east of Hempstead Village. Some GPS systems show the road name changing, but it’s the same road. Don’t get confused if your nav says “Route 24” instead of “Hempstead Turnpike.”
• Right turns on red are your friend. If you need to head south at any point, you can turn right on red at most intersections on Hempstead Turnpike. The cross streets — Wantagh Ave, Newbridge Rd, Bellmore Ave — all run straight south to the Southern State if conditions improve.
• Food and fuel strategy. The strip between Levittown and East Meadow has the cheapest gas on Hempstead Turnpike and the highest concentration of fast food. If you’re on a long crawl, this is the place to make your stop.
• Avoid Hempstead Turnpike through Elmont during UBS Arena events. The arena traffic management plan pushes cars onto Hempstead Turnpike, creating artificial bottlenecks. If an event is happening, start your Hempstead Turnpike run from the East Meadow area eastward.