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Trip from Clifton, NJ to Rumson, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 15m

Distance

53.3 mi

86 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 9m ★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 12m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States

Clifton, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Rumson, NJ, NJ

Rumson, NJ

Aisling Kerr

Trip Overview

The drive from Clifton, NJ to Rumson, NJ covers 53.3 miles and takes about 1h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Garden State Parkway, Garden State Parkway Southbound, Rumson Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 37.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.91 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 37.6 mi 48m
Garden State Parkway Southbound 6.2 mi 8m
Rumson Road 3.7 mi 5m
Newman Springs Road 2.1 mi 3m
Pinckney Road 0.6 mi <1m
Clifton Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Avenue of Two Rivers 0.4 mi 1m
Branch Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 37.6 mi, about 48m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Rumson, 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 South Use 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

15 mi · 17 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 1 min
Exit 109 Toward CR 520: Red Bank, Lincroft Use the slight right lane.
16

Turn left onto CR 520

127 ft · 2 sec · Newman Springs Road
17

Continue on CR 520

2.0 mi · 3 min · Newman Springs Road
Use the straight lane.
18

Turn left onto NJ 35; CR 520

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Broad Street
19

Turn right onto CR 520

0.6 mi · 50 sec · Pinckney Road
20

Continue on CR 520; CR 11

0.3 mi · 36 sec · Branch Avenue
21

Turn left onto CR 520

3.7 mi · 5 min · Rumson Road
22

Turn left onto CR 34

0.4 mi · 1 min · Avenue of Two Rivers
23

Turn left onto CR 34

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Ridge Road
24

Turn right onto CR 10

0.2 mi · 31 sec · East River Road
25

Turn right onto Black Point Road

146 ft · 6 sec · Black Point Road
26

Arrive at destination

Black Point Road

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Staten Island, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

27 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

New York City, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26.6 miles from Clifton, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 21

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 45.4 — 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
8
45.4 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in

Take the exit toward CR 520: Red Bank, Lincroft

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 109 Toward CR 520: Red Bank, Lincroft

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.91 one way

$17.81 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $9.80 $19.60
premium $5.01 $10.52 $21.03
diesel $5.60 $11.75 $23.50

Estimated Tolls: $2.62

Garden State Parkway (43.8 mi) $2.62

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$3

Total

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16 0 $5.60 $2.56
Efficient EV 13.3 0 $4.66 $2.13
EV Truck/SUV 21.3 0 $7.46 $3.41

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% 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 Sep 1, 2026

Origin

Clifton, NJ

Morning in Clifton on Friday

Local time

6:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

85°F

Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

W 5 mph 90% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 2:30AM EDT until September 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Rumson, NJ

Morning in Rumson on Friday

Local time

6:14 AM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 5 mph 40% chance Live forecast

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 2:30AM EDT until September 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

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

2 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

1h 15m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

53.3 mi in 1h 15m, mostly highway — 37.6 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.

82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 37.6 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 Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.3 miles you will encounter 21 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.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

248 ft 11 ft

Total Climb

341 ft

Total Descent

483 ft

Highest Point

248 ft

~41.9 mi in

Elevation Range

237 ft

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 Rumson, NJ, road signs point toward Cr 520: Red Bank and Lincroft.

Cr 520: Red Bank

45.4 mi in | ~1h 1m

Lincroft

45.4 mi in | ~1h 1m

About the Cities

Starting in Clifton, NJ

Full guide →

Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey.

Top landmarks

  • • United States Animal Quarantine Station — historic building complex in Clifton, New Jersey
  • • Garritse-Doremus-Westervelt House — historic farmhouse in Clifton, 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 1h 15m. Total distance: 53.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 37.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $2.62 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 Rumson, 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 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 Rumson, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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