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Trip from Clifton, NJ to Kinnelon, NJ

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

24m

Distance

17.6 mi

28 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Fair

3 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 22m ★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m

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

borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States

Kinnelon, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Clifton, NJ to Kinnelon, NJ is 17.6 miles and takes about 24 minutes via NJ 23, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New Jersey, traversing the Northeast region. It's a quick hop that's ideal for a same-day excursion, requiring minimal planning. You'll find it to be a straightforward drive with a high percentage of highway time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NJ 23 10.3 mi 12m
US 46 3.7 mi 4m
State Route 3 1.3 mi 1m
Clifton Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Kinnelon Road 0.5 mi 1m
Allwood Road 0.2 mi <1m
Donna Drive 0.1 mi <1m
Maple Lake Road 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: NJ 23 — 10.3 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Kinnelon, 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

1.3 mi · 1 min · State Route 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Merge onto US 46

3.7 mi · 4 min · US 46
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 80 West, NJ 23 North: Delaware Water Gap, Butler
12

Merge onto NJ 23

4.6 mi · 5 min · NJ 23
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on NJ 23

5.7 mi · 7 min · NJ 23
Use the right lane.
14

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 15 sec
15

Keep slight left at fork

121 ft · 10 sec
16

Turn left onto CR 618

450 ft · 10 sec · Kiel Avenue
17

Continue on CR 618

0.5 mi · 1 min · Kinnelon Road
18

Turn left onto Maple Lake Road

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Maple Lake Road
19

Turn right onto Kiel Avenue

103 ft · 2 sec · Kiel Avenue
20

Arrive at destination

Kiel Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 1.2 — 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

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | Olga B Terrace

Turn left onto Olga B Terrace

Navigation decision point

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
5
1.2 mi into trip | ~3m in | NJ 3 / State Route 3

Merge onto NJ 3 / State Route 3

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.92 one way

$5.84 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $3.20 $6.39
premium $4.93 $3.41 $6.83
diesel $5.61 $3.89 $7.77

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.3 0 $1.85 $0.84
Efficient EV 4.4 0 $1.54 $0.70
EV Truck/SUV 7 0 $2.46 $1.13

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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 16, 2026

Origin

Clifton, NJ

Morning in Clifton on Sunday

Local time

10:37 AM

EDT

Current temp

69°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Kinnelon, NJ

Morning in Kinnelon on Sunday

Local time

10:37 AM

EDT

Current temp

58°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

11 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

24m 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 mostly highway, with 87% of the 17.6 miles on high-speed roads. You'll experience a 10.3-mile stretch on NJ 23 before transitioning to surface roads. Expect frequent exits and merges as you navigate this segment.

87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.3 mi on NJ 23.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 23 and US 46. 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.

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 16 decision points packed into just 17.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.

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 0.3 miles (Olga B Terrace): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (CR 602 / Allwood Road): 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 Clifton, NJ and Kinnelon, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp South and Butler.

Gsp South

1.1 mi in | ~3m

Butler

6.2 mi in | ~9m

About the Cities

Starting in Clifton, NJ

Full guide →

Clifton is a city in Passaic County, 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 24m. Total distance: 17.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.3 miles on NJ 23. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Kinnelon, 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 0.3 miles (Olga B Terrace): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (CR 602 / Allwood Road): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison 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 Kinnelon, 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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