Transportation Infrastructure
Whether the destination is the Eastern Seaboard, the Eastern Hemisphere or beyond, Nassau County’s comprehensive infrastructure of airports, seaports, rail, and road connect businesses with the world.
Located just 17 miles east of Manhattan, Nassau County is positioned at the midpoint of the Northeast Corridor, halfway between Washington, D.C. and Boston. New York City is less than 30 minutes away on the Long Island Railroad – the largest commuter railroad in the U.S., and two international airports are minutes away.
To explore Nassau County's transportation please visit our interactive map.
Airports
Nassau County’s strategic location next to two of the busiest international airports offers businesses a logistical advantage that’s hard to beat. Residents can easily reach both airports within minutes.
New York’s JFK International Airport and LaGuardia International Airport move nearly 60 million people and 1.4 million tons of goods annually (NYCdata).
In addition to the two major airports, Islip Long Island MacArthur, a public airport located nearby, offers options for commercial flights and hosts a thriving general aviation sector. Republic Airport, known as “Long Island’s Executive Airport,” is just one of nearly a dozen private airports on Long Island that cater to executive travelers.
Rail
Passenger Rail
Nassau County’s Long Island Railroad (LIRR) is the largest commuter railroad in the U.S., carrying nearly 301,000 passengers daily to 124 stations on 700 miles of track.
LIRR provides service to all of Nassau County, with 11 branch lines operating services to the western destinations of Penn Station in Manhattan, Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, Jamaica and Hunters Point/Long Island City in Queens, as well as service to eastern destinations on Long Island stretching to Montauk.
The LIRR Expansion Project is building for the future. It is our region’s most significant and transformative infrastructure projects improving mass transit within Nassau County between Floral Park and Hicksville. This project will reduce traffic congestion, protect the environment and enhance quality-of-life for communities along the main Line.
Connections to New York City’s subway system and the AirTrain to JFK International Airport are available at Jamaica Station in Queens. The LIRR is also completing work on its East Side Access Project, which will add a new hub in Grand Central Terminal and provide direct access from Long Island to Manhattan’s East Side.
In December 2020 Amtrak, in partnership with NYS Empire State Development, completed the home of Amtrak’s New York City passenger operations within the new Moynihan Train Hall. The Moynihan Train Hall expands the nation’s busiest train station, Penn Station, New York across 8th Avenue into the historic James A. Farley Post Office Building, part of a mixed-use redevelopment of the entire block. The Moynihan Train Hall offers enhanced passenger facilities for Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor (NEC) and long-distance travelers all within a grand Train Hall featuring a sky lit atrium approximately the size of the Grand Central Terminal’s Main Hall. In concert with the forthcoming renovation of Penn Station, to better serve commuter rail passengers and Amtrak’s intercity passenger arrivals, expansion of Amtrak’s passenger services into the new Moynihan Train Hall relieves existing station crowding and improve passenger comfort and security.
Freight Rail
New York & Atlantic Railway began operation in May 1997 as result of the privatized concession to operate freight trains on the lines owned by Long Island Rail Road. The railway serves a diverse customer base and shares track with the densest passenger system in the United States. NYA connects with CP, CSX, NYNJ, NS and PW.
https://www.anacostia.com/railroads/nya
Highway System
Nassau County’s highway system includes eight major east-west roadways that provide direct service throughout Nassau County and into New York City. Interstate 495 (I-495) connects Nassau County with New York City via the Queens-Midtown Tunnel and with I-95 through I-295 in Queens.
The Nassau County Department of Public Works manages nearly 1,600 lane-miles of public roadway. The Nassau County Road Jurisdiction Viewer provides the public with the most current information on road ownership in 2019.
Photo Credit: Port Authority of NY & NJ
Ports
Nassau County is just 25 miles from The Port of New York and New Jersey, the third largest port in the U.S. and the largest seaport on the East Coast. In 2019, the port handled more than 86,215 metric tons of cargo valuing over $205 million. With the ability to handle every type of available cargo, and a location in the middle of the nation’s largest and most concentrated consumer market, The Port of New York and New Jersey is a prime asset for businesses with significant shipping or logistical operations.