Origin
Clifton, NJ
Morning in Clifton on Sunday
Local time
10:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clifton, NJ to River Vale, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
15.2 mi
25 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
River Vale, NJ
David Kanigan
Trip Overview
Clifton, NJ to River Vale, NJ is 15.2 miles and takes about 25m via Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward hop within the Northeast region, entirely within New Jersey. Expect a mixed drive that won't take up much of your day, making it ideal for a quick transfer or a leisurely start. The primary highway component means you'll make good time, but it’s short enough to avoid highway fatigue. Consider this an easy local connection rather than a destination in itself.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Piaget Avenue | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Forest Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Oradell Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| 3rd Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Westwood Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| US 46 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 5.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and River Vale, NJ.
1
Start on Holly Street
516 ft
·
24 sec
·
Holly Street
2
Turn right onto Donna Drive
522 ft
·
28 sec
·
Donna Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto St James Place
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
St James Place
4
At end of road, turn right onto NJ 161
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
5
Turn left onto CR 618
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
·
Paulison Avenue
Use the left lane.
6
Take the ramp
470 ft
·
13 sec
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto US 46
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Piaget Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46
0.6 mi
·
40 sec
·
US 46
Toward US 46 East: Elmwood Park
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
10
Merge onto GSP
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 165A-B
Toward Ridgewood, Oradell
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 165A
Toward Oradell
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn right onto CR 80
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Oradell Avenue
14
Turn left onto CR 59
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Forest Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on CR 59
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
4th Avenue
16
Keep slight right at fork onto CR 59
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
3rd Avenue
17
At end of road, turn right onto CR 502; CR 110
309 ft
·
7 sec
·
Washington Avenue
18
Continue on CR 110
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Westwood Avenue
19
Turn slight right onto CR 110
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Harrington Avenue
20
Continue on CR 110
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Cedar Lane
21
Continue on CR 110
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Westwood Avenue
22
Turn left onto Rockland Avenue
305 ft
·
15 sec
·
Rockland Avenue
23
Turn right onto Park Place
171 ft
·
7 sec
·
Park Place
24
Arrive at destination
Park Place
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 11.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
St James Place
At end of road, turn left onto St James Place
Navigation decision point
7
3.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
US 46
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46 toward US 46 East: Elmwood Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 46 East: Elmwood Park
8
10.4 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward Ridgewood, Oradell
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 165A-B
Toward Ridgewood, Oradell
9
10.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Oradell
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 165A
Toward Oradell
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
CR 59 / Forest Avenue
Turn left onto CR 59 / Forest Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.52 one way
$5.04 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.76 | $5.52 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.95 | $5.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.36 | $6.71 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.34
Garden State Parkway
(5.6 mi)
$0.34
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
| Efficient EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
River Vale, NJ
Morning in River Vale on Sunday
Local time
10:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°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
24 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
25m 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 offers a mixed drive, with 41% of it on highways like the Garden State Parkway. You'll encounter stretches on Piaget Avenue and Forest Avenue, suggesting a transition from highway to more local roads as you approach your destination. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 5.6 miles on the Garden State Parkway, giving you a solid segment of consistent driving. The overall feel is likely a blend of efficient highway travel and navigating local New Jersey streets, keeping the drive engaging without being overly complex.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 St James Place.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 15.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (St James Place): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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 River Vale, NJ, road signs point toward Ridgewood and Oradell.
Ridgewood
10.4 mi in
|
~15m
Oradell
10.4 mi in
|
~15m
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 25m. Total distance: 15.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.34 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 River Vale, 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 (St James Place): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 River Vale, 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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