Drive or Fly: Fanwood, NJ to Jersey City, NJ?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for EWR–EWR. At 23 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

35m

Distance

23 mi

Total Cost

$40

CO2

9 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$5

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 30m

2m in the air

Air Distance

17 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

4 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fanwood, NJ → EWR 18m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 2m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

EWR → Jersey City, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Fanwood, NJ EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

Jersey City, NJ EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport 6 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between EWR and EWR. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

1h 15m

15m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Acela

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fanwood, NJ → Metropark Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 15m

Arrival 10m

Newark → Jersey City, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Metropark Amtrak Station 6 mi, ~10m drive

To Newark 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~26/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 1m

1h 10m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

FlixBus 2601

Door-to-Door Timeline

Fanwood, NJ → New Brunswick (Downtown) (6RU) 16m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 70m

Arrival 10m

New York (Hudson Yards) (6NYY) → Jersey City, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From 6RU — New Brunswick (Downtown) 11 mi, ~16m drive

To 6NYY — New York (Hudson Yards) 4 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	35m	2h 30m	1h 15m	2h 1m
Total cost (1 person)	$40	$121	$3	$3
Carbon footprint	9 kg CO₂	4 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

23 mi 34m

via I 78

Shortest (+4 min)

22.8 mi 39m

via CR 607, US 1; US 9

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Fanwood, NJ to Jersey City, NJ with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.