Overview
Hempstead Turnpike is Nassau County’s primary east-west commercial arterial in the southern portion of the county, running 20 miles from the Nassau/Queens border in Elmont east to Farmingdale. Carrying approximately 45,000 vehicles per day, it is one of the most heavily used surface roads in Nassau County, passing through a succession of dense suburban communities including Elmont, Franklin Square, West Hempstead, Hempstead, East Meadow, Levittown, and Farmingdale.
The road’s history begins in the 17th century when it served as the primary overland route from Jamaica, Queens to the Town of Hempstead — one of Long Island’s founding communities, established by English settlers in 1644. By the 19th century it had been formalized as a turnpike (toll road), and its commercial function has only intensified since. Today Hempstead Turnpike is lined almost continuously with commercial development — strip malls, fast food restaurants, auto dealerships, and big-box retailers — generating the high volumes of turning and pedestrian traffic that make it one of the county’s most crash-prone corridors.
The road passes near two of Long Island’s most significant major venues: Belmont Park, one of thoroughbred racing’s most historic tracks and home of the Belmont Stakes, is adjacent to the Elmont/Floral Park area of the turnpike. UBS Arena, the state-of-the-art arena built in 2021 as home of the New York Islanders NHL franchise, is located at the Elmont campus. Major events at either venue — Belmont Stakes weekends, Islanders playoff games, major concerts — create severe traffic conditions on Hempstead Turnpike and surrounding roads.
The corridor passes through the Town of Hempstead, which despite being the most populous township in New York State is often noted for the fragmented nature of its local governance across dozens of incorporated and unincorporated communities. This governance complexity has historically complicated coordinated transportation planning along the Hempstead Turnpike corridor.
Dangerous Sections
Elmont (near Queens border): The western end of Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont handles traffic from the Belt Parkway connection and the dense residential neighborhoods of this Nassau County community. Pedestrian activity is high, signal spacing is close, and the volume of turning movements creates constant rear-end crash risk.
Franklin Square commercial corridor: Franklin Square’s retail concentration along Hempstead Turnpike generates one of the highest driveway cut densities on the corridor. Multiple closely spaced driveway entrances and exits create continuous weaving conflicts.
Levittown / East Meadow: The mid-section of Hempstead Turnpike through Levittown and East Meadow runs through dense residential neighborhoods while maintaining 40–45 mph speeds. The mismatch between design speed and the surrounding land use — schools, parks, residential blocks — creates ongoing pedestrian and bicyclist safety problems.
Towns Along This Route
Current Conditions
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Recent Incidents
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Accident Statistics
Hempstead Turnpike is consistently one of Nassau County’s highest-crash roads in total annual crashes. Pedestrian and bicycle crashes are overrepresented relative to the corridor’s volume, reflecting the pedestrian safety deficit on this high-speed commercial arterial. Nassau County has identified multiple sections of Hempstead Turnpike in its High Injury Network for targeted safety investment.