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Trip from Clifton, NJ to Iselin, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

37m

Distance

24.7 mi

40 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 35m ★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States

Clifton, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Iselin, NJ, NJ

Iselin, NJ

Garrison Gao

Trip Overview

The drive from Clifton, NJ to Iselin, NJ covers 24.7 miles and takes about 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Garden State Parkway, Clifton Avenue, Lincoln Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.1 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.24 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 22.1 mi 30m
Clifton Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Lincoln Highway 0.5 mi <1m
Allwood Road 0.2 mi <1m
Donna Drive 0.1 mi <1m
Auth Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Olga B Terrace 0.1 mi <1m
Holly Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 22.1 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Iselin, NJ.

1

Start on Holly Street

516 ft · 26 sec · Holly Street
2

Turn left onto Donna Drive

0.1 mi · 34 sec · Donna Drive
3

At end of road, turn right onto Olga B Terrace

441 ft · 21 sec · Olga B Terrace
4

Turn right onto Hutton Road

39 ft · 7 sec · Hutton Road
5

Turn left onto Olga B Terrace

174 ft · 13 sec · Olga B Terrace
6

Turn left onto NJ 161

0.5 mi · 1 min · Clifton Avenue
7

At end of road, turn right onto CR 602

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Allwood Road
Use the right lane.
8

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward NJ 3 West, GSP South
9

Merge onto NJ 3

304 ft · 4 sec · State Route 3
10

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Toward GSP South Use the slight right lane.
11

Merge onto GSP

22 mi · 30 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 52 sec
Exit 132 Toward NJ 27: Iselin, Metuchen Use the slight right lane.
13

At end of road, turn left onto NJ 27

0.5 mi · 51 sec · Lincoln Highway
14

Turn slight left onto Auth Avenue

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Auth Avenue
15

Turn left onto Wright Street

442 ft · 19 sec · Wright Street
16

Arrive at destination

Wright Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 23.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~1m in | Olga B Terrace

At end of road, turn right onto Olga B Terrace

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
0.9 mi into trip | ~2m in | CR 602 / Allwood Road

At end of road, turn right onto CR 602 / Allwood Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
1.1 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the ramp toward NJ 3 West, GSP South

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward NJ 3 West, GSP South
6
1.3 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the exit toward GSP South

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward GSP South
8
23.8 mi into trip | ~35m in

Take the exit toward NJ 27: Iselin, Metuchen

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 132 Toward NJ 27: Iselin, Metuchen

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.24 one way

$8.49 round trip

$4.37/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.79 $4.66 $9.32
premium $5.13 $4.99 $9.97
diesel $5.97 $5.80 $11.61

Estimated Tolls: $1.33

Garden State Parkway (22.1 mi) $1.33

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$1

Total

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.

Driving Electric?

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

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7.4 0 $2.59 $1.19
Efficient EV 6.2 0 $2.16 $0.99
EV Truck/SUV 9.9 0 $3.46 $1.58

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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 Sep 10, 2026

Origin

Clifton, NJ

Morning in Clifton on Saturday

Local time

6:19 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers

SW 13 mph 22% chance Live forecast

Destination

Iselin, NJ

Morning in Iselin on Saturday

Local time

6:19 AM

EDT

Current temp

71°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

SW 10 mph 17% 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

2 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

37m 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?

24.7 mi in 37m, mostly highway — 22.1 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.

90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.1 mi on Garden State Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Clifton Avenue. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Olga B Terrace.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 24.7 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

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 1.1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

178 ft 68 ft

Total Climb

109 ft

Total Descent

220 ft

Highest Point

178 ft

Elevation Range

111 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

On the drive from Clifton, NJ to Iselin, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Gsp South along the way.

Gsp South

1.3 mi in | ~3m

About the Cities

Starting in Clifton, NJ

Full guide →

Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey.

Top landmarks

  • United States Animal Quarantine Station — historic building complex in Clifton, New Jersey
  • Garritse-Doremus-Westervelt House — historic farmhouse in Clifton, New Jersey

Arriving in Iselin, NJ

Full guide →

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 37m. Total distance: 24.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

37m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 22.1 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.33 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 Iselin, 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 (Olga B Terrace): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 0.9 miles (CR 602 / Allwood Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park (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 Iselin, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore more options from Clifton, NJ or browse trips ending in Iselin, NJ.

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