Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
11 mi
18 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Harrison, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Clifton, NJ to Harrison, NJ covers 11 miles and takes about 16m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NJ 21, State Route 3, Allwood Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on NJ 21. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.89 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 21 | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| State Route 3 | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Harrison Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Bloomfield Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Donna Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Essex Freeway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Harrison, NJ.
Start on Holly Street
Turn left onto Donna Drive
At end of road, turn right onto Olga B Terrace
Turn right onto Hutton Road
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
Turn left onto NJ 161
At end of road, turn left onto CR 602
Enter roundabout onto CR 622
Continue on CR 622
Take the ramp
Merge onto NJ 3
Take the exit
Merge onto NJ 21
Take the ramp
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 280
Take the exit
Turn left onto CR 508
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 10.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
At end of road, turn right onto Olga B Terrace
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
At end of road, turn left onto CR 602 / Allwood Road
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward I 280 East: Harrison, Jersey City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Harrison, Newark, Soccer Arena
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$1.89 one way
$3.78 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $2.07 | $4.15 |
| premium | $5.13 | $2.22 | $4.44 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $2.58 | $5.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.16 | $0.53 |
| Efficient EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.96 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.54 | $0.70 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Clifton on Saturday
Local time
6:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Morning in Harrison on Saturday
Local time
6:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
11 mi in 16m, mostly highway — 5.7 mi of that is on NJ 21.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 21 and State Route 3. 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 Olga B Terrace.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 11 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 16m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Olga B Terrace): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.9 miles (CR 602 / Allwood Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
51 ft
Total Descent
200 ft
Highest Point
190 ft
~1.6 mi in
Elevation Range
181 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Clifton, NJ and Harrison, NJ, road signs point toward Jersey City and The Oranges.
Jersey City
The Oranges
Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey.
Top landmarks
Founded 1840
Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. This article also covers the town of Kearny.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 16m. Total distance: 11 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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