Clifton, NJ to Ocean County, NJ is 82.4 miles and takes about 1h 45m via the Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays within New Jersey, moving you from the Northeast region to the southern part of the state. It's a quick trip, mostly on a major parkway, making it ideal for a same-day excursion. You'll spend the vast majority of your time on the highway, so don't expect many detours or slow-downs unless traffic dictates. Plan for a smooth, direct journey to your destination.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
41.2 miles from Clifton, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 56m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Garden State Parkway
72.7 mi
1h 30m
Garden State Parkway Southbound
6.2 mi
8m
Lacey Road
1.5 mi
2m
Clifton Avenue
0.5 mi
1m
Allwood Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Donna Drive
0.1 mi
<1m
Olga B Terrace
0.1 mi
<1m
Holly Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 72.7 mi, about 1h 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Ocean County, 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 SouthUse the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto GSP
22 mi·30 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Continue on Garden State Parkway
6.2 mi·8 min·Garden State Parkway Southbound
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork onto GSP
0.7 mi·49 sec·Garden State Parkway
14
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP
50 mi·58 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi·59 sec
Exit 74Toward Forked RiverUse the right lane.
16
Keep slight left at fork
100 ft·4 sec
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
17
Turn left onto CR 614
1.5 mi·2 min·Lacey Road
18
Arrive at destination
CR 614
Trip Plan
Given the short duration of 1 hour and 45 minutes, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip. You can leave anytime, but consider departing mid-morning to avoid potential rush hour congestion leaving Clifton. With only 82.4 miles and a $14 fuel cost, stops are not strictly necessary for refueling, but you might want to take a brief break along the Garden State Parkway for stretching. The longest continuous stretch is over 72 miles, so be prepared for sustained highway driving. Keep an eye on traffic reports as you approach Ocean County, as local conditions can vary.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 41.2 miles from Clifton, NJ, or about 56m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 72.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 18 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41.2 miles or 56m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Ocean County, NJ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Clifton, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Clifton, NJ
This is one driving day of about 82.4 miles and 1h 45m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Clifton, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Garden State Parkway for about 72.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 80.6 — 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
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
7
80.6 mi into trip|~1h 42m in
Take the exit toward Forked River
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 74
Toward Forked River
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$14.16 one way
$28.32 round trip
$4.37/gal25.4 MPG avg29 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.79
$15.54
$31.08
premium
$5.13
$16.63
$33.26
diesel
$5.97
$19.36
$38.72
Estimated Tolls: $4.73
Garden State Parkway
(78.9 mi)$4.73
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Tolls
$5
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$44–$69
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
24.7
0
$8.65
$3.96
Efficient EV
20.6
0
$7.21
$3.30
EV Truck/SUV
33
0
$11.54
$5.27
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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 Aug 5, 2026
Origin
Clifton, NJ
Morning
in Clifton on Saturday
Local time
7:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Cloudy
SW 0 to 3 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Ocean County, NJ
Morning
in Ocean County on Saturday
Local time
7:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Patchy Fog
0 mph6% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1h 45m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Today, the brick buildings on Main Street in West Orange, NJ seem quiet, betraying little evidence of the research, development, and innovation of their heyday. Visitors can step back in time to Thoma...
Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 17...
Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winte...
Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for...
18 mi from route
~45 min detour
Free
near mile 42.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is overwhelmingly a highway-focused drive, with 96% of the journey utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 72.7 miles primarily on the Garden State Parkway Southbound. This means you can settle in for a consistent pace for most of the drive. The character of the road is predominantly that of a well-maintained parkway, designed for steady travel rather than scenic exploration. Expect a predictable driving experience with minimal transitions to local roads until you reach your final destination.
96% 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: 72.7 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Garden State Parkway Southbound. 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 Effort9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 82.4 miles you will encounter 15 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.
Ocean County is on the Jersey Shore. It is the southernmost county in the New York City metropolitan area. The county is also home to many tourist attractions such as the beachfront communities of Seaside Heights, Long Beach Island, and Point Pleasant Beach, and Six Flags Great Adventure, an amusement park in Jackson Township that is the home to the world's tallest and second-fastest roller coaster. Ocean County is a gateway to New Jersey's Pine Barrens, one of the largest protected land areas on the East Coast.
Top landmarks
•Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge — National Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, United States
•Double Trouble State Park — state park in Ocean County, New Jersey
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 45m. Total distance: 82.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 72.7 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $4.73 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.
Yes — we found about 13 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 Ocean County, 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 Ocean County, NJ before heading back.
