Origin
Cliffside Park, NJ
Late night in Cliffside Park on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cliffside Park, NJ to Union, 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
31m
Distance
19.2 mi
31 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cliffside Park, NJ
Malcolm Garret
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
This 19.2-mile drive from Cliffside Park, NJ, to Union, NJ, is a quick trip, estimated to take just 31 minutes. It's entirely within the Northeast region of New Jersey and is perfectly suited as a single-day excursion, with no need for an overnight stay. The route is budget-friendly, with an estimated fuel cost of only $3, making it an economical choice. You'll primarily navigate on Tonnelle Avenue, US 22, and US 1, experiencing a mixed driving profile. With no planned stops, this is a straightforward journey for a quick commute or a short hop across the state.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Tonnelle Avenue | 5.1 mi | 7m |
| US 22 | 4.1 mi | 6m |
| US 1 | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Pulaski Skyway | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Anderson Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| 76th Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Tonnelle Avenue
— 5.1 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cliffside Park, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on CR 27
526 ft
·
18 sec
·
Palisade Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 50
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Edgewater Road
Use the right lane.
3
Turn left onto CR 29
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Anderson Avenue
4
Turn right onto John F. Kennedy Boulevard
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
5
Turn right onto 76th Street
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
76th Street
6
Turn left onto US 1; US 9
5.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Tonnelle Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1; US 9
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Tonnelle Avenue
Toward NJ 139 East, US 1 South, US 9 South: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel, Tonnele Avenue, Jersey City, Pulaski Skyway
8
Take the exit onto US 1; US 9
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
US 1; US 9
Toward US 1-9 South: Newark
Use the right lane.
9
Merge onto US 1; US 9
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Pulaski Skyway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1; US 9
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
US 1; US 9
Toward US 1-9 Local South: Wilson Avenue, Port Newark
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit onto US 22
4.1 mi
·
6 min
·
US 22
Toward US 22 West: Union, Hillside
Use the slight right lane.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward GSP North: Union, Millburn
13
Turn slight right onto CR 630
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
Use the straight lane.
14
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 14.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 50 / Edgewater Road
Turn right onto CR 50 / Edgewater Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
7.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue toward NJ 139 East, US 1 South, US 9 South: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel, Tonnele Avenue, Jersey City, Pulaski Skyway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NJ 139 East, US 1 South, US 9 South: Hob...
7
7.7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
US 1; US 9
Take the exit onto US 1; US 9 toward US 1-9 South: Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward US 1-9 South: Newark
8
11.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
US 1; US 9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1; US 9 toward US 1-9 Local South: Wilson Avenue, Port Newark
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 1-9 Local South: Wilson Avenue, Port...
7
14.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
US 22
Take the exit onto US 22 toward US 22 West: Union, Hillside
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 US 22 West: Union, Hillside
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.18 one way
$6.37 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.49 | $6.97 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.72 | $7.45 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.24 | $8.48 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.23
Pulaski Skyway
(3.3 mi)
$0.23
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Union, NJ
Late night in Union on Tuesday
Local time
5:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
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
22 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
31m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
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, with 39% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.1 miles along Tonnelle Avenue. This drive transitions between faster highway segments and potentially more varied local road conditions as you progress. It's not a monotonous interstate grind but rather a blend that keeps things dynamic behind the wheel. You'll experience different road personalities as you make your way from the starting point to your destination.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on Tonnelle Avenue.
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 around 0.1 miles in near CR 50 / Edgewater Road.
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 13 decision points packed into just 19.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CR 50 / Edgewater Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles (US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.7 miles (US 1; US 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Cliffside Park, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Jersey City, Pulaski Skyway, Port Newark and Hillside.
Jersey City
7.6 mi in
|
~12m
|
via US 1; US 9
Pulaski Skyway
7.6 mi in
|
~12m
|
via US 1; US 9
Port Newark
11.2 mi in
|
~18m
|
via US 1; US 9
Hillside
14.4 mi in
|
~22m
|
via US 22
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 19.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). 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 5.1 miles on Tonnelle Avenue. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.23 in tolls one way, starting with Pulaski Skyway. 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 Union, 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 0.1 miles (CR 50 / Edgewater Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.6 miles (US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.7 miles (US 1; US 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area (4 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 Union, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Union, NJ
More from Cliffside Park, NJ
More trips to Union, NJ
Explore more options from Cliffside Park, NJ or browse trips ending in Union, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.