[1] The creek flows into Hempstead Harbor, an arm of Long Island Sound.

[2][3] The creek begins at a lake on the grounds of the De Seversky Mansion on the New York Institute of Technology campus in Old Westbury.

The creek then rejoins the arterial highway, at this point called Pratt Boulevard, and then runs through a long culvert underneath downtown Glen Cove.

[2][4][5] When Glen Cove started to industrialize in the mid-to-late 19th Century, Glen Cove Creek was used by a local starch plant to dispose of waste; the settling of the waste gave the creek a strong odor, which could be smelled from nearby Sea Cliff when the wind blew in that direction.

[6] The creek's waterfront in recent years has been undergoing a redevelopment project, including the construction of condominium buildings and shops.