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Trip from Chester, NJ to Newark, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49m

Distance

33 mi

53 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
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.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Chester, NJ, NJ

Chester, NJ

Aisling Kerr

Trip Overview

This 33-mile drive from Chester to Newark, New Jersey, is a straightforward option for a single-day trip, taking approximately 49 minutes. You'll navigate primarily via NJ 24 and the Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway, with about 40% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost is around $5, making it an economical choice. Given its short distance and duration, this route is easily manageable within a day, allowing for flexibility in your departure and arrival times. It offers a mixed driving experience as you transition from the Northeast region's suburban landscapes towards the more urban environment of Newark.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NJ 24 7.6 mi 8m
Mendham Road 5.5 mi 8m
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway 4.6 mi 5m
Main Street 2.7 mi 3m
Springfield Avenue 2.4 mi 4m
Washington-Mendham Road E. (Old Rt. 24) 1.6 mi 2m
Columbia Road 1 mi 1m
Grove Street 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: NJ 24 — 7.6 mi, about 8m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chester, NJ and Newark, 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)
3

Turn slight right

221 ft · 7 sec
Use the right lane.
4

Turn straight onto CR 510

2.7 mi · 3 min · Main Street
5

Continue on CR 510

0.8 mi · 1 min · Washington Turnpike
6

Continue on CR 510

5.5 mi · 8 min · Mendham Road
7

Continue on CR 510

1.6 mi · 2 min · Washington-Mendham Road E. (Old Rt. 24)
8

Continue on CR 510

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Mendham Avenue (Old Rt. 24)
9

Continue on CR 510

0.7 mi · 1 min · Washington Street
Use the straight lane.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto US 202; CR 510

113 ft · 4 sec · West Park Place
11

Continue on US 202; CR 510

401 ft · 8 sec · South Park Place
12

Continue on CR 510

501 ft · 9 sec · Morris Street
13

Enter roundabout onto CR 510

52 ft · 0 sec · Morris Street
14

Continue on CR 510

0.5 mi · 54 sec · Morris Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
15

Continue on CR 510

0.7 mi · 1 min · Morris Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16

Continue on CR 510

1.0 mi · 1 min · Columbia Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
17

Continue on CR 510

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Columbia Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
18

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward NJ 24 East: Springfield
19

Merge onto NJ 24

7.6 mi · 8 min · NJ 24
20

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 29 sec
Toward I 78 East: Holland Tunnel, New York City, Newark
21

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 17 sec
Toward I 78 East Local: Newark Use the slight right lane.
22

Merge onto I 78

4.6 mi · 5 min · Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Exit 54 Toward Hillside, Irvington Use the slight right lane.
24

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward Irvington Use the straight / right lanes.
25

Turn straight onto Fabyan Place

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Fabyan Place
26

Turn left onto CR 601

0.3 mi · 32 sec · Chancellor Avenue
27

Turn right onto CR 509

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Coit Street
28

Turn slight left onto CR 509

0.9 mi · 1 min · Grove Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
29

Turn right onto CR 603

2.4 mi · 4 min · Springfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
30

Continue on CR 510

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Market Street
31

Arrive at destination

CR 510

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Madison, NJ

17 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

Concord, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Madison, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.5 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 12.8 and 28.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
12.8 mi into trip | ~20m in | CR 510 / Morris Street

Enter roundabout onto CR 510 / Morris Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

6
23.3 mi into trip | ~34m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 78 East: Holland Tunnel, New York City, Newark

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 78 East: Holland Tunnel, New York City...
7
23.7 mi into trip | ~35m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 78 East Local: Newark

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 78 East Local: Newark
8
28.5 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward Hillside, Irvington

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 54 Toward Hillside, Irvington
8
28.7 mi into trip | ~41m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Irvington

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward Irvington

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.47 one way

$10.94 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $5.99 $11.98
premium $4.93 $6.40 $12.80
diesel $5.61 $7.29 $14.57

Estimated Tolls: $0.05

Washington Turnpike (0.8 mi) $0.05

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$0

Total

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.9 0 $3.47 $1.58
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.89 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.62 $2.11

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.

Forecast as of Apr 19, 2026

Origin

Chester, NJ

Late night in Chester on Tuesday

Local time

4:59 AM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Chance Rain Showers

SE 0 to 5 mph 52% chance Live forecast

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 2:19AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 1:11AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Newark, NJ

Late night in Newark on Tuesday

Local time

4:59 AM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Rain Showers Likely

SE 6 mph 62% chance Live forecast

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 2:19AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Freeze Watch

Freeze Watch issued April 19 at 1:11AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

45°F

Madison, NJ

17 mi in

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

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?

Expect a mixed drive on this route, blending highway speeds with more local road conditions. Roughly 40% of the 33 miles are on highways, including the Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.6 miles on NJ 24. As you progress, the character of the drive will evolve, moving from the more open feel of state routes to potentially busier arterial roads closer to Newark. This dynamic means you'll experience varied traffic patterns and speed changes throughout the 49-minute journey.

40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
31 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.6 mi on NJ 24.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 around 12.8 miles in near CR 510 / Morris Street.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 33 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: at 12.8 miles (CR 510 / Morris Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 23.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Chester, NJ and Newark, NJ, road signs point toward New York City, Hillside and Irvington.

New York City

23.3 mi in | ~34m

Hillside

28.5 mi in | ~40m

Irvington

28.5 mi in | ~40m

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 Newark, NJ

Full guide →

Newark is New Jersey's largest city and second largest in Metro New York. Although one of the great historic cities of the Northeast and the most culture-rich city in the state, Newark is often overlooked in favor of Goliath-like Manhattan and towns along the Hudson River, such as Jersey City and Hoboken. While no longer the industrial powerhouse it once was, Newark remains one of America's major shipping, rail, and air hubs. Public transportation is abundant, making it easy to get to, from, and around the city. Newark has been economically disadvantaged for some time, and suffers from a bad reputation, often informed by negative stereotyping. Thanks in large part to a nationally high-profile mayor (Cory Booker, now a U.S.

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: 33 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 (40%). 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 7.6 miles on NJ 24. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.05 in tolls one way, starting with Washington Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

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 Newark, 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: at 12.8 miles (CR 510 / Morris Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 23.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Morristown National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls 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 Newark, 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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