East of Flushing, Northern Boulevard began as a Native American trail.
In Queens and Nassau County, the road began as an east–west Native American trail between Flushing and today's town of North Hempstead. Now part of State Route 25A, it takes the name Northern Boulevard at Queens Boulevard, by the Queensboro Bridge, and keeps it through Woodside, Jackson Heights, Flushing and Little Neck into Nassau County. In Flushing it was once known as Broadway.