Driving routes from NYC to the Hamptons
Most drivers take the Long Island Expressway east to Exit 70 or 71, then Sunrise Highway (NY 27) and Montauk Highway. NY 27 itself runs 120.58 miles from Brooklyn to Montauk Point State Park.
Fares and schedules checked October 2026.
The Long Island Expressway (I-495) runs about 66 miles from the Queens-Midtown Tunnel to County Route 58 in Riverhead. Exit 70 (County Road 111) leads south to Sunrise Highway at Manorville and Eastport. Exit 71 (NY 24 south) leads to Hampton Bays. Those are the two usual ways to leave the expressway for the South Fork. For timing, see Friday traffic and Sunday traffic; distances by town are on the distances page.
The three highways
- LIE to Sunrise Highway. Leave I-495 at Exit 70 and take County Road 111 south to Sunrise Highway (NY 27) east. Sunrise Highway runs east as a freeway past Westhampton Beach and Quogue to the Shinnecock Canal.
- LIE to NY 24. Leave at Exit 71 and take NY 24 south to Hampton Bays, which meets Sunrise Highway.
- Sunrise Highway all the way. NY 27 begins in Brooklyn and, as Sunrise Highway, runs east through Nassau and Suffolk Counties. It is a six-lane arterial in eastern Queens and a freeway in Suffolk.
East of the Shinnecock Canal
East of the NY 24 interchange, Sunrise Highway crosses the Shinnecock Canal and then continues as North Highway, a four-lane surface road better known as the Southampton Bypass. Beyond Southampton the route is Montauk Highway, which is two lanes except for four lanes in East Hampton Village. East of Amagansett it becomes the Montauk Point State Parkway through Hither Hills State Park at Napeague. NY 27 shares its route with New York State Bicycle Route 27 on this stretch.
To Sag Harbor and Shelter Island
NY 114 runs from NY 27 in East Hampton north to Sag Harbor, across Shelter Island by the South Ferry and North Ferry, and ends at NY 25 in Greenport. A car crossing both ferries pays $18 on the South Ferry and $16 on the North Ferry one way; see the ferries guide.
HOV lanes
The expressway has an HOV lane in each direction from exit 32 to exit 64. From 6 to 10 AM and 3 to 8 PM on weekdays, it is restricted to buses, motorcycles and cars with at least two occupants. The lane ends at exit 64, west of the Manorville exits, so it helps only for the first part of the trip.
Common questions
What is the best route from NYC to the Hamptons?
Most drivers take the LIE to Exit 70 or 71 and Sunrise Highway (NY 27) east, then Montauk Highway. The right choice on the day depends on live traffic.
Where does Sunrise Highway end?
East of the NY 24 interchange in Hampton Bays it crosses the Shinnecock Canal and continues as North Highway, the Southampton Bypass.
Sources
Checked October 2026. Operators revise schedules and fares; use the official pages below for the final word.