Clifton, NJ to Surf City, NJ is 100.2 miles and takes about 2h 9m via Garden State Parkway and NJ 72, with a fuel budget near $17 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, connecting two points in New Jersey. You'll be spending most of your time on the Garden State Parkway, making it a straightforward drive. Given the relatively short duration, it's an ideal route for a day trip, allowing for flexibility in your departure time and plenty of opportunity to enjoy your destination.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
50.1 miles from Clifton, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 6m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Garden State Parkway
83.8 mi
1h 42m
NJ 72
7.1 mi
10m
Garden State Parkway Southbound
6.2 mi
8m
Long Beach Boulevard
1.1 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
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 83.8 mi, about 1h 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clifton, NJ and Surf City, 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
61 mi·1 hr 11 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.1 mi·25 sec
Exit 63Toward NJ 72: Long Beach Island, Pemberton
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·40 sec
Toward NJ 72 East: Long Beach Island
17
Merge onto NJ 72
7.1 mi·10 min·NJ 72
Use the right lane.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 72
190 ft·11 sec·West 9th Street
Toward North Long Beach Boulevard, Surf City, Barnegat LightUse the left / straight lanes.
19
Turn left onto CR 607
1.1 mi·2 min·Long Beach Boulevard
20
Turn right onto North 12th Street
151 ft·5 sec·North 12th Street
21
Arrive at destination
North 12th Street
Trip Plan
With a total drive time of just over two hours, this route is easily manageable in a single day. To maximize your time at the shore, consider leaving Clifton in the morning, perhaps before 9 AM, to avoid peak traffic. The Garden State Parkway is generally well-maintained, but keep an eye out for toll plazas. Since the longest stretch without a major road change is 83.8 miles, plan your fuel stops accordingly, though with only 100.2 miles total, you likely won't need to refuel mid-trip. Enjoy the flexibility of a shorter drive, allowing you to linger at your destination.
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 50.1 miles from Clifton, NJ, or about 1h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 83.8 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 22 miles or 32m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 50.1 miles or 1h 6m 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 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Surf City, 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.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Clifton, NJ
This is one driving day of about 100.2 miles and 2h 9m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 22 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 83.8 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 18
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 99.1 — 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
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
7
91.8 mi into trip|~1h 55m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 72 East: Long Beach Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward NJ 72 East: Long Beach Island
8
99.1 mi into trip|~2h 6m in|NJ 72 / West 9th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 72 / West 9th Street toward North Long Beach Boulevard, Surf City, Barnegat Light
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward North Long Beach Boulevard, Surf City, B...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.22 one way
$34.44 round trip
$4.37/gal25.4 MPG avg35 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.79
$18.90
$37.79
premium
$5.13
$20.23
$40.45
diesel
$5.97
$23.54
$47.08
Estimated Tolls: $5.39
Garden State Parkway
(90 mi)$5.39
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
$17
Tolls
$5
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 35.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
30.1
0
$10.52
$4.81
Efficient EV
25.1
0
$8.77
$4.01
EV Truck/SUV
40.1
0
$14.03
$6.41
Gas CO2
35 kg
EV CO2
12 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 31, 2026
Origin
Clifton, NJ
Morning
in Clifton on Saturday
Local time
6:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
S 6 mph47% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Surf City, NJ
Morning
in Surf City on Saturday
Local time
6:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Isolated Rain Showers
E 5 mph20% 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
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
2h 9m 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...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
Free
near mile 17.3
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 41.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is primarily highway, with 97% of the 100.2 miles on major roads. You'll experience a long stretch of 83.8 miles on the Garden State Parkway before transitioning to NJ 72. Expect a consistent cruising experience with frequent exits along the Parkway. The final portion on NJ 72 will likely involve more local traffic and intersections as you approach Surf City.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 83.8 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 NJ 72. 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
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 18 significant decision points across 100.2 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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
178 ft-5 ft
Total Climb
229 ft
Total Descent
402 ft
Highest Point
178 ft
Elevation Range
183 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Clifton, NJ to Surf City, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Pemberton along the way.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 9m. Total distance: 100.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 83.8 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $5.39 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 Surf City, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
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 Surf City, NJ before heading back.
