Origin
Clifton, NJ
Late night in Clifton on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clifton, NJ to Monroe, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
20.6 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Monroe, NJ
Garrison Gao
Trip Overview
Clifton, NJ to Monroe, NJ is 20.6 miles and takes about 29 minutes via US 46, Interstate 80 West, and State Route 3, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on major roadways, making it a simple transit rather than an exploration. Consider this route when you need a quick trip between these two areas without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 46 | 10.8 mi | 12m |
| Interstate 80 West | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| State Route 3 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| South Jefferson Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| I 287 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Allwood Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cedar Knolls Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 46
— 10.8 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Monroe, 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
11 mi
·
12 min
·
US 46
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 80 West: Dover, Del Water Gap
12
Continue on I 80W
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Interstate 80 West
Toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
1.9 mi
·
2 min
Exit 43A
Toward I 287 South: Morristown
14
Merge onto I 287
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 287
15
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 39A
Toward NJ 10 East: Whippany
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn straight onto NJ 10
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
NJ 10
17
Turn right onto South Jefferson Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Jefferson Road
Use the right lane.
18
At end of road, turn left onto Cedar Knolls Road
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Cedar Knolls Road
Use the left lane.
19
Arrive at destination
Cedar Knolls Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 18.6 — 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
15.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 287 South: Morristown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 43A
Toward I 287 South: Morristown
7
18.6 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward NJ 10 East: Whippany
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 39A
Toward NJ 10 East: Whippany
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.42 one way
$6.83 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.74 | $7.48 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.00 | $7.99 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.55 | $9.10 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.2 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 | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
| Efficient EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.80 | $0.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.88 | $1.32 |
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
Monroe, NJ
Late night in Monroe on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
29m 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 predominantly highway driving, with about 75% of the 20.6 miles on major roads like US 46 and I-80 West. You'll experience a stretch of 10.8 miles on US 46, which is the longest continuous segment before transitioning to other highways. Expect a fair number of exits and merges as you navigate the primary roadways.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on US 46.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 46 and Interstate 80 West. 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
8/10
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 20.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
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.
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 Clifton, NJ and Monroe, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp South, Del Water Gap and Mahwah.
Gsp South
1.1 mi in
|
~3m
Del Water Gap
13.3 mi in
|
~17m
Mahwah
13.5 mi in
|
~17m
|
via I 80W
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 20.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on US 46. 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 Monroe, 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 — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Thomas Edison 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 Monroe, 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 Monroe, NJ
More trips to Monroe, NJ
Explore more options from Clifton, NJ or browse trips ending in Monroe, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.