Origin
Cliffwood Beach, NJ
Morning in Cliffwood Beach on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cliffwood Beach, NJ to Passaic, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
36.3 mi
58 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cliffwood Beach, NJ
Sarah O'Shea
Passaic, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Cliffwood Beach, NJ to Passaic, NJ is 36.3 miles and takes about 54 minutes via Garden State Parkway and NJ 35, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region and entirely within New Jersey. Expect a predominantly highway experience, making it a quick and straightforward connection between these two points. It's a practical route for getting from the Jersey Shore area further north towards Passaic, without significant detours or complications. You'll likely find it an efficient way to cover this distance.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 22.6 mi | 31m |
| NJ 35 | 8.3 mi | 11m |
| Bloomfield Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Broadway | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Passaic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Passaic Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Cliffwood Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Paulison Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 22.6 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cliffwood Beach, NJ and Passaic, NJ.
1
Start on Fairfield Way
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Fairfield Way
2
At end of road, turn left onto Cliffwood Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Cliffwood Avenue
3
Turn right onto NJ 35
8.3 mi
·
11 min
·
NJ 35
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Toward GSP North
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
5
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
this road
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left lane.
7
Merge onto GSP
23 mi
·
31 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
10
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
11
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
12
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Enter roundabout onto CR 622
173 ft
·
3 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
15
Continue on CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
16
Continue on CR 622
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
17
Continue on CR 622
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
18
Continue on CR 622
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
19
Turn right onto CR 618
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Paulison Avenue
20
Turn left onto Passaic Avenue
95 ft
·
2 sec
·
Passaic Avenue
21
Arrive at destination
Passaic Avenue
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 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.1 miles from Cliffwood Beach, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 32.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cliffwood Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Cliffwood Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NJ 35
Turn right onto NJ 35
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
8.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward GSP North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward GSP North
7
9.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight left at fork toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
8
32.4 mi into trip
|
~47m in
Take the exit toward Montclair, Nutley
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 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.24 one way
$12.48 round trip
$4.37/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $6.85 | $13.69 |
| premium | $5.13 | $7.33 | $14.65 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $8.53 | $17.06 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.35
Garden State Parkway
(22.6 mi)
$1.35
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
| Efficient EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Passaic, NJ
Morning in Passaic on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°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
4 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
54m 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?
This route is 85% highway, meaning you'll spend most of your time on the Garden State Parkway. The longest continuous stretch on the highway is 22.6 miles. After exiting the Parkway, you'll transition to surface roads like NJ 35 and Bloomfield Avenue, which will likely have more frequent exits and slower speeds as you approach Passaic. Be prepared for denser traffic and more intersections once you leave the main parkway.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.6 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and NJ 35. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Cliffwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 36.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Cliffwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (NJ 35): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.9 miles: 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 Cliffwood Beach, NJ and Passaic, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp North, Montclair and Nutley.
Gsp North
8.9 mi in
|
~13m
Montclair
32.4 mi in
|
~47m
Nutley
32.4 mi in
|
~47m
About the Cities
Starting in Cliffwood Beach, NJ
Full guide →Arriving in Passaic, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1679
Passaic is a city in New Jersey.
Top landmarks
- • People's Bank and Trust Company Building — historic building in Passaic City, 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 54m. Total distance: 36.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.35 in tolls one way, starting with Garden State Parkway. 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 Passaic, 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 0.2 miles (Cliffwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.6 miles (NJ 35): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Passaic, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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