Origin
Clifton, NJ
Late night in Clifton on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clifton, NJ to Newark, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
11.3 mi
18 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick connection between Clifton and Newark, this 11.3-mile trip is a straightforward transit that takes roughly 17 minutes. You can easily complete the journey in a single day, as it is designed for efficiency rather than a multi-day excursion. Budgeting about $2 for fuel should be plenty to cover the distance, making this an incredibly economical commute within the Northeast region. Because both cities are located in New Jersey, you won't experience a dramatic change in regional character, but the route provides a direct link between these two urban hubs. It is a practical, no-nonsense drive that gets you to your destination without the need for overnight stops or extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 21 | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| State Route 3 | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| University Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Bloomfield Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 21
— 5.6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Newark, 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 left onto CR 602
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Allwood Road
Use the left lane.
8
Enter roundabout onto CR 622
65 ft
·
1 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
9
Continue on CR 622
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Use the left lane.
11
Merge onto NJ 3
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 3
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto NJ 21
5.6 mi
·
6 min
·
NJ 21
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto CR 506 Spur
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Clay Street
15
Turn left onto Broad Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Broad Street
Use the left lane.
16
Keep slight right at fork onto University Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
University Avenue
17
Turn left onto CR 510
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Market Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
18
Arrive at destination
CR 510
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 10.1 — 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
7
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CR 602 / Allwood Road
At end of road, turn left onto CR 602 / Allwood Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
7
10.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.87 one way
$3.75 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.05 | $4.10 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.19 | $4.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.49 | $4.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.19 | $0.54 |
| Efficient EV | 2.8 | 0 | $0.99 | $0.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Newark, NJ
Late night in Newark on Tuesday
Local time
4:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
1 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
17m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience, as roughly 64% of this route consists of high-speed transit. Your journey relies on a combination of Allwood Road, State Route 3, and NJ 21 to navigate the transition between the two cities. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 5.6 miles on NJ 21, which serves as the primary artery for the drive. While the path avoids the complexity of technical local roads, the mix of highway and surface streets requires you to stay alert during the transition points. It is a functional, fast-paced drive that prioritizes speed over leisure, keeping you moving steadily toward your arrival in Newark.
64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on NJ 21.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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.
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 11.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
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.
About the Cities
Starting in Clifton, NJ
Full guide →Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey.
Arriving in Newark, NJ
Full guide →Newark is New Jersey's largest city and second largest in Metro New York. Although one of the great historic cities of the Northeast and the most culture-rich city in the state, Newark is often overlooked in favor of Goliath-like Manhattan and towns along the Hudson River, such as Jersey City and Hoboken. While no longer the industrial powerhouse it once was, Newark remains one of America's major shipping, rail, and air hubs. Public transportation is abundant, making it easy to get to, from, and around the city. Newark has been economically disadvantaged for some time, and suffers from a bad reputation, often informed by negative stereotyping. Thanks in large part to a nationally high-profile mayor (Cory Booker, now a U.S.
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 17m. Total distance: 11.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (64%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on NJ 21. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 6 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 Newark, 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 2.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area (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 Newark, 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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