The
Southern State Parkway (also known as
Southern State or
Southern Parkway) is a 25.53 miles (41.09 km) long limited-access highway on
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, in the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. Southern State Parkway travels east from
ElmontElmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
, in
Nassau CountyNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
, ending at its eastern terminus in
West IslipWest Islip is a hamlet and CDP, located in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Situated on the south shore of Long Island, the population of the CDP was 29,907 at the time of the 2000 census.-Geography:West Islip is located at ....
, where Southern Parkway becomes Heckscher Parkway.
Construction of the highway, designed by
Robert MosesRobert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
, began in 1925. The first section of the parkway opened in 1927. It reached its original eastern terminus (Bay Shore Road) in 1949, and was extended to its current eastern terminus (Heckscher State Parkway) in 1962.
Route description
The western terminus of the Southern State Parkway is at the intersection of the
BeltThe Belt System is a series of connected limited-access highways that form a belt-like circle around the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens. The system comprises four officially separate parkways; however, three of the four are signed as the Belt Parkway...
and
Cross Island ParkwayCross Island Parkway, also known as the 100th Infantry Division Parkway, is a parkway within New York State. The parkway is a part of the Belt Parkway system that runs along the perimeter of the borough of Queens in New York City...
s, in the hamlet of Elmont, Town of
HempsteadHempstead may refer to:PlacesIn England:*Hempstead, Essex*Hempstead, Kent*Hempstead, near Holt, Norfolk*Hempstead, near Stalham, Norfolk*Hemel Hempstead, HertfordshireIn the United States:*Hempstead County, Arkansas...
,
Nassau CountyNassau County is the name of two counties in the United States:*Nassau County, New York*Nassau County, Florida...
, adjacent to the border of
QueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, a borough of
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The eastern terminus is where Southern Parkway intersects with
Sagtikos State ParkwayThe Sagtikos State Parkway is a long north–south limited-access parkway in Suffolk County on Long Island in New York. The southern terminus of the route is at the Heckscher State Parkway and the Southern State Parkway in West Islip...
at
West IslipWest Islip is a hamlet and CDP, located in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Situated on the south shore of Long Island, the population of the CDP was 29,907 at the time of the 2000 census.-Geography:West Islip is located at ....
,
Suffolk CountySuffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
, continuing 8.24 miles as Heckscher Parkway, ending at
Heckscher State ParkHeckscher State Park is a park on the shore of the Great South Bay at East Islip in Suffolk County, New York, USA. The park was that was once the 19th century estates of George C. Taylor and J. Neal Plum. Islip's founder, William Nicoll, originally built his estate on this property...
. Southern State Parkway comprises the western portion of New York State Route 908M, with Heckscher Parkway occupying the eastern section. Southern State Parkway services communities along the southern half of the island.
Southern State Parkway is noted for its sharp curves. The section of the parkway between exit 17 (Hempstead Avenue) and exit 32 (NY 110) is particularly tortuous, as the lack of adequate acceleration and deceleration lanes and numerous bends in the road have caused a number of fatal accidents, making it one of the more dangerous stretches of highway on Long Island. Roadway improvements in the 1980s, including a continuous median guardrail and enhanced super-elevation of curves have helped to improve safety.
History
Construction began in 1925 under the direction of
Robert MosesRobert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, Rockland County, and Westchester County, New York. As the shaper of a modern city, he is sometimes compared to Baron Haussmann of Second Empire Paris, and is one of the most polarizing figures in the history of...
, for the purpose of improving access to
Jones BeachJones Beach may refer to:* A barrier island off the coast of Long Island, New York:**Jones Beach State Park in Nassau County, New York in the United States**Jones Beach Island**Nikon at Jones Beach Theater...
. The land used had originally been a conduit path for water, owned by Brooklyn. The first section of the parkway, eastward from the Queens-Nassau county line, opened in 1927. By 1932, the four-lane, undivided road extended to Suffolk County. Further extensions used more modern road construction principles. It reached its originally planned eastern terminus (Bay Shore Road) in 1949, and its current eastern terminus (Heckscher State Parkway) in 1962. Following the post-war housing boom on Long Island, the parkway was widened and straightened in numerous places to serve commuters traveling at speeds unanticipated when the road was first constructed.
Southern Parkway's first exit at Elmont is numbered 13.
Cross Island ParkwayCross Island Parkway, also known as the 100th Infantry Division Parkway, is a parkway within New York State. The parkway is a part of the Belt Parkway system that runs along the perimeter of the borough of Queens in New York City...
once began the exit numbering scheme at the Whitestone Bridge as exit 1 and continued east on Southern State Parkway, before the construction of the Belt Parkway. The
Cross Island ParkwayCross Island Parkway, also known as the 100th Infantry Division Parkway, is a parkway within New York State. The parkway is a part of the Belt Parkway system that runs along the perimeter of the borough of Queens in New York City...
's exit numbering scheme was changed to match the Belt Parkway's easterly number progression from the Belt's start at the Gowanus Expressway to the current Cross Island's terminus, now exit 36 at the Whitestone Bridge.
Originally constructed as a four-lane parkway, similar to
Northern State ParkwayThe Northern State Parkway is a long limited-access state parkway on Long Island in the U.S. state of New York. The western terminus is at the Queens-Nassau County line, where the parkway continues westward into New York City as the Grand Central Parkway...
, Southern Parkway was widened in the early 1950s to eight lanes from the city line to Hempstead Lake, and six lanes east of there. Since Southern Parkway was originally conceived as a "linear park" to connect Jones Beach and other state parks with the city, it was built in a meandering style appropriate for the low speeds and traffic density of the day. Stone and concrete arched overpasses were purposely constructed with low clearances for both aesthetic reasons and to ensure that commercial traffic wouldn't be able to use the parkway system.
Of interest is the original route of the Southern State at Hempstead Lake. Before the current fill that carries the present day parkway across the lake was built, traveling east before Eagle Avenue, the parkway veered sharply to the right, continued on what now is the park road in Hempstead Lake Park, crossed the dam at the southern end of Hempstead Lake, and turned sharply left on Peninsula Blvd. The divided section of Peninsula Blvd. next to Hempstead Lake Park is actually the old Southern State Parkway, which was abandoned for a number of years until Nassau County bought the roadway in the late 1940s. Between the Little East Neck Road underpass and Belmont Avenue interchange(exits 37 S-N), the median of the parkway is lined with pine trees, before approaching
Belmont Lake State ParkBelmont Lake State Park is located in Babylon , New York on Long Island in Suffolk County, New York. The park has boating and picnicking facilities and playing fields for popular sports...
.
Just east of exit 32, a service area used to operate beneath the underpass of Suffolk CR 47 (Great Neck Road) until 1985. Exit 32, which is for
NY 110New York State Route 110 is a major north–south state highway along the western border of Suffolk County, New York. It runs between the Village of Amityville in the Town of Babylon and Halesite in the Town of Huntington...
, also once included CR 47. Another service area was once located between exits 17 and 18. Lastly, there were once toll booths located on the parkway between exits 13 and 14 near its western terminus at the
Cross Island ParkwayCross Island Parkway, also known as the 100th Infantry Division Parkway, is a parkway within New York State. The parkway is a part of the Belt Parkway system that runs along the perimeter of the borough of Queens in New York City...
until 1978, although many road maps covered the toll booths until the early-to-mid-1980s.
Exit list
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NassauNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
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North Valley StreamNorth Valley Stream is a census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 16,628 at the 2010 census.-Geography:North Valley Stream is located at ....
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|Southern terminus of Cross Island Parkway
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Valley StreamValley Stream is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population in the village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census...
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ElmontElmont is an unincorporated census-designated place located in the northwest corner of the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, along its border with the borough of Queens in New York City...
|Single exit 13 westbound
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|1.55
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Valley StreamValley Stream is a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population in the village of Valley Stream was 37,511 at the 2010 census...
|No westbound exit; to
Valley Stream State ParkValley Stream State Park is a state park located in Valley Stream, Nassau County, New York in the United States. The park is one of three state parks located in the Town of Hempstead and, like Hempstead Lake State Park, originated as a feeder reservoir for the Ridgewood Reservoir.The park is a...
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Valley Stream State ParkValley Stream State Park is a state park located in Valley Stream, Nassau County, New York in the United States. The park is one of three state parks located in the Town of Hempstead and, like Hempstead Lake State Park, originated as a feeder reservoir for the Ridgewood Reservoir.The park is a...
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Franklin SquareFranklin Square is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 29,320 at the 2010 census...
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Malverne Park OaksMalverne Park Oaks is a census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 505...
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|Hempstead Avenue –
West HempsteadNot to be confused with West Hampstead, London.West Hempstead is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 18,862 at the 2010 census...
,
MalverneMalverne is a village in the town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 8,514 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land.-History:...
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LakeviewLakeview is a census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 5,615 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Lakeview is located at , west of Hempstead Lake State Park....
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|Eagle Avenue
|To
Hempstead Lake State ParkHempstead Lake State Park is a state park located in West Hempstead, Nassau County, New York in the United States. The park is one of three state parks located within the Town of Hempstead. There is a quick-access entrance at exit 18 from the Southern State Parkway.The park contains three ponds...
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South HempsteadSouth Hempstead is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 3,243 at the 2010 census.South Hempstead is in the town of Hempstead...
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|Peninsula Boulevard –
HempsteadHempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
,
Rockville CentreRockville Centre is a village located in Nassau County, New York, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 24,023. The town is made up of middle to upper middle class residents, most of the wealthier residents residing on the north side of town near the...
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RooseveltRoosevelt is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 16,258 at the 2010 census.Roosevelt is in the town of Hempstead.-Geography:Roosevelt is located at ....
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|Nassau Road –
HempsteadHempstead is a village located in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 53,891 at the 2010 census.Hofstra University is located on the border between Hempstead and Uniondale.-Foundation:...
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FreeportFreeport is a village in the town of Hempstead, Nassau County, New York, USA, on the South Shore of Long Island. The population was 42,860 at the 2010 census. A settlement since the 1640s, it was once an oystering community and later a resort popular with the New York City theater community...
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North MerrickNorth Merrick is a community and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 12,272 at the 2010 census.North Merrick is located on the south shore of Long Island...
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WestburyWestbury incorporated in 1932 as a village in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 15,146 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westbury is in the Town of North Hempstead....
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MerrickMerrick is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, USA. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 22,097. The name "Merrick" is taken from Meroke, the name of the Algonquian tribe formerly indigenous to the area...
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|Serves Nassau University Medical Center
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North Wantagh
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LevittownLevittown is a hamlet in the Town of Hempstead located on Long Island in Nassau County, New York. Levittown is midway between the villages of Hempstead and Farmingdale. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 51,881....
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WantaghWantagh is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States...
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WantaghWantagh is a hamlet and census-designated place in Nassau County, New York, United States...
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North MassapequaNorth Massapequa is a hamlet located on Long Island within the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 17,886 at the 2010 census...
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MassapequaMassapequa is a hamlet located in the suburban Nassau County, New York. As of the 2010 census, the CDP had a total population of 21,685.Massapequa is located on the South Shore of Long Island....
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FarmingdaleThe Village of Farmingdale is an incorporated village on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States...
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|Exit B1 (Bethpage Parkway); southern terminus of Bethpage Parkway; no access to Linden Street westbound
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SuffolkSuffolk County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York on the eastern portion of Long Island. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,493,350. It was named for the county of Suffolk in England, from which its earliest settlers came...
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North AmityvilleNorth Amityville is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. Located on Long Island in the Town of Babylon, the population of the CDP was 16,572 at the 2000 census. The area is served by the Amityville Postal District, the Amityville Union Free School...
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CR 1 (County Line Road) accessible via exit 32S eastbound.
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North LindenhurstNorth Lindenhurst is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 11,767 at the 2000 census. It is a community in the Town of Babylon...
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|Exit only westbound, use NY 109 for re-entry;
parclo interchangeA partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...
eastbound
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West BabylonWest Babylon is a census-designated place in the town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 43,452 at the 2000 census.-Geography:West Babylon is located at ....
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North BabylonNorth Babylon is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 17,877 at the 2000 census.North Babylon is a community in the Town of Babylon.-Geography:...
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Belmont Lake State ParkBelmont Lake State Park is located in Babylon , New York on Long Island in Suffolk County, New York. The park has boating and picnicking facilities and playing fields for popular sports...
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Parclo interchangeA partial cloverleaf interchange or parclo is a modification of a cloverleaf interchange. The parclo interchange was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation as a replacement for the cloverleaf on 400-Series Highways, removing the dangerous weaving patterns and allowing for more...
with eastbound loop ramps
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West IslipWest Islip is a hamlet and CDP, located in Suffolk County, New York, USA. Situated on the south shore of Long Island, the population of the CDP was 29,907 at the time of the 2000 census.-Geography:West Islip is located at ....
|24.87
|40
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|End westbound local/express lane setup—traffic merges into 3 lanes after this exit
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|Begin westbound local/express lane (2–2) setup before this exit
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|41A
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|Continuation beyond Sagtikos Parkway
External links