Hempstead Turnpike (NY 24)

New York State Route 24 (NY 24), commonly known along much of its western stretch as Hempstead Turnpike, is a major east–west artery on Long Island, connecting Queens through Nassau County into Suffolk.

Though NY 24 is now split into two noncontiguous segments, the western portion stretching from Queens to East Farmingdale is the most urban and heavily traveled.
In Nassau County, the route is almost entirely known as Hempstead Turnpike, except through the Village of Hempstead where it’s locally called Fulton Avenue for a stretch.

Its role:

• Serves as a commercial corridor, lined with shopping centers, retail strips, services, and restaurants
• Acts as a connector between residential communities, transit hubs, and major highways
• Handles heavy commuter and local traffic, especially during peak hours

Route Description & Key Segments

Below is a breakdown of the route from west to east, highlighting neighborhoods, intersections, and changes in road character.

Segment	Major Features & Notes
Queens (western terminus)	NY 24 begins at the southern end of I-295 (Clearview Expressway) and NY 25 (Hillside Avenue) in Queens Village. Initially, it follows 212th Street and Hollis Court Boulevard, unsigned through residential streets, before taking Hempstead Avenue eastward.
Crossing into Nassau — Hempstead / Elmont / Floral Park	Upon entering Nassau, the name becomes Hempstead Turnpike. It passes south of Belmont Park and UBS Arena, then through Elmont and Floral Park commercial zones.
Hempstead / Fulton Avenue section	In the Village of Hempstead, the route is locally maintained (as CR 107 in part) and called Fulton Avenue. After rejoining state maintenance, the route returns to the Hempstead Turnpike name.
Hofstra / Uniondale stretch	East of Hempstead, NY 24 becomes a divided highway, passing through Hofstra University’s campus with pedestrian overpasses. It continues east through Uniondale, intersecting the Meadowbrook Parkway.
Levittown & East toward Farmingdale	In Levittown, the road is heavily commercial, with many shops, chains, and local businesses lining both sides. The route intersects NY 107 (Hicksville Road), crosses into Plainedge, and approaches its terminus near NY 110 in East Farmingdale.

Eastern segment note: Remember that the eastern piece of NY 24 no longer directly connects to this western stretch; it lies further east in Suffolk County, starting near Calverton and terminating in Hampton Bays.

Road Character & Traffic Patterns

• Lanes & configuration: In Nassau, Hempstead Turnpike is frequently a wide, multi-lane divided boulevard with many signalized intersections. In more built-up zones it narrows and has frequent driveways and side streets.
• Traffic: The corridor experiences heavy traffic, with commuter rush congestion, intersection delays, and many turning movements. Portions in Levittown especially are congested.
• Commercial frontage: The route is lined with strip malls, local businesses, auto centers, and service retail. In Plainedge and Levittown, the frontage is dense.
• Transit & access: The road intersects multiple bus routes (e.g. NICE buses in Levittown). It provides access to local neighborhoods, shopping nodes, and major cross roads.

History & Route Evolution

• When NY 24 was first assigned in 1930, it was a continuous route reaching from Queens to Hampton Bays in Suffolk.
• In the mid-1930s, the route was segmented; the stretch between Farmingdale and Riverhead was removed, creating its current split.
• Throughout the years, segments have shifted in maintenance responsibility: notably, the village-maintained Fulton Avenue in Hempstead (CR 107) and some locally maintained parts in Queens.
• Although the eastern segment exists independently now, the entire corridor retains the historical identity of NY 24.

Local Impact & Community Significance

• Economic engine: Hempstead Turnpike is a core commercial corridor for many Nassau communities, generating local business activity and supporting important retail clusters.
• Connectivity: It links residential areas to key highways (Meadowbrook Parkway, Wantagh Parkway, NY 135), regional shopping centers, hospital complexes, and campus zones like Hofstra.
• Challenges: Congestion, signal delay, and turning conflicts are recurring issues. Efforts to manage traffic flow (signal synchronization, turn restrictions, frontage road design) are often topics of local planning discussion.
• Transit integration: The road serves as a backbone for local bus service and pedestrian access in dense commercial stretches.