Origin
Chester, NJ
Morning in Chester on Tuesday
Local time
8:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chester, NJ to Clifton, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
35.4 mi
57 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chester, NJ
Aisling Kerr
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Chester, NJ to Clifton, NJ is 35.4 miles and takes about 49 minutes via Christopher Columbus Highway and US 46, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward drive within the Northeast region, staying within New Jersey the entire time. You'll experience a mixed drive, transitioning from local roads to more highway-like conditions. Given its short duration, this trip is ideal for a quick commute or a day trip with plenty of flexibility for spontaneous stops along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 10.5 mi | 11m |
| NJ 10 | 7.3 mi | 9m |
| US 46 | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| North Road | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Dover - Chester Road | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Littleton Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Main Street (Old Rt. 24) | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Van Houten Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Christopher Columbus Highway
— 10.5 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chester, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on Perry Street
66 ft
·
4 sec
·
Perry Street
2
Turn right onto CR 513
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street (Old Rt. 24)
Use the left / straight lanes.
3
Continue on CR 513
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
North Road
Use the straight lane.
4
Continue on CR 513
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Dover - Chester Road
5
Turn right onto NJ 10
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
NJ 10
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on NJ 10
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 10
7
Take the exit
514 ft
·
14 sec
Use the right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
146 ft
·
10 sec
9
Turn left onto US 202
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Littleton Road
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 80 East: New York City
11
Merge onto I 80
10 mi
·
11 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 53
Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto US 46
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
14
Continue on US 46
2.4 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Take the exit
452 ft
·
16 sec
Toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, Passaic
Use the slight right lane.
16
At end of road, turn right onto CR 623
179 ft
·
9 sec
·
Grove Street
17
Turn left onto CR 614
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Houten Avenue
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Clifton Avenue
19
Turn left onto St James Place
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
St James Place
20
Turn right onto Donna Drive
522 ft
·
28 sec
·
Donna Drive
21
Turn left onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
22
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.7 miles from Chester, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 33.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 513 / Main Street (Old Rt. 24)
Turn right onto CR 513 / Main Street (Old Rt. 24)
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
8.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
NJ 10
Turn right onto NJ 10
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
15.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
US 202 / Littleton Road
Turn left onto US 202 / Littleton Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
28.7 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 53
Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunn...
7
33.7 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, Passaic
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.87 one way
$11.74 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.43 | $12.86 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.87 | $13.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.82 | $15.63 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.96 | $2.27 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Clifton, NJ
Morning in Clifton on Tuesday
Local time
8:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Mostly Sunny
SE 3 to 10 mph
1% chance
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
6 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
49m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with about 34% of it on highways. You'll navigate through sections that feel like local roads before merging onto more significant thoroughfares like NJ 10 and US 46. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.5 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway, providing a consistent pace for that segment. As you progress, expect a blend of urban and suburban driving environments, with the road character shifting as you get closer to Clifton.
34% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.5 mi on Christopher Columbus Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 513 / Main Street (Old Rt. 24).
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 35.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 513 / Main Street (Old Rt. 24)): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles (NJ 10): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.7 miles (US 202 / Littleton Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Chester, NJ
Full guide →Chester is a borough in Morris County in the Skylands region of New Jersey in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States of America. It is completely surrounded by Chester Township.
Arriving in Clifton, NJ
Full guide →Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 35.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.5 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Clifton, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 513 / Main Street (Old Rt. 24)): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles (NJ 10): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.7 miles (US 202 / Littleton Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Thomas Edison National Historical Park (5 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clifton, NJ before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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