Origin
Cranbury, NJ
Morning in Cranbury on Sunday
Local time
6:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cranbury, NJ to Jersey City, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
40.4 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cranbury, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Cranbury to Jersey City covers 40.4 miles of the Northeast corridor, a quick journey that typically takes about 54 minutes. Because this is a short, efficient trip, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You should budget approximately $7 for fuel to complete the drive. The route relies heavily on major thoroughfares, making it a straightforward connection between these two New Jersey locations. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a day in the city, the trip is manageable and requires no overnight stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 31.6 mi | 38m |
| South River Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Lincoln Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| US 1 Truck | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Cranbury-South River Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Duncan Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Plainsboro Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 31.6 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cranbury, NJ and Jersey City, NJ.
1
Start on CR 535
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Plainsboro Road
2
At end of road, turn left onto CR 535
236 ft
·
6 sec
·
Maplewood Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 535
287 ft
·
9 sec
·
Half Acre Road
4
Turn left onto US 130; CR 535
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
US 130; CR 535
5
Turn slight right onto CR 535
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
South River Road
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on CR 535
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Cranbury-South River Road
7
Turn right onto NJ 32
158 ft
·
2 sec
·
Forsgate Drive
Use the right lane.
8
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward NJTP Toll, I 95 Toll: New Jersey Turnpike
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 95, NJTP North: New York City
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
32 mi
·
38 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
12
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
Exit 15E
Toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Newark, Jersey City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
322 ft
·
7 sec
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North: Jersey City, Doremus Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Jersey City
16
Merge onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Lincoln Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto Duncan Avenue
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Duncan Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Turn left onto Olean Avenue
316 ft
·
13 sec
·
Olean Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
Olean Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from Cranbury, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 3.5 and 39.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95, NJTP North: New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95, NJTP North: New York City
8
37.1 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Newark, Jersey City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 15E
Toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Newa...
8
37.5 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North: Jersey City, Doremus Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North: Jers...
7
37.5 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Jersey City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Jers...
7
39.3 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.70 one way
$13.40 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.34 | $14.67 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.84 | $15.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.92 | $17.84 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.57
New Jersey Turnpike
(32.6 mi)
$4.57
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$5
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Jersey City, NJ
Morning in Jersey City on Sunday
Local time
6:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
22 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
54m 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 highway-focused drive is dominated by the New Jersey Turnpike, which accounts for the majority of your time behind the wheel. You will spend roughly 83% of the journey on high-speed roads, with a significant 31.6-mile stretch on the Turnpike providing the core of the experience. Transitioning from the highway to local roads like South River Road and the Lincoln Highway changes the pace as you approach your destination. Expect a functional, high-traffic environment rather than a scenic tour. Staying focused is key as you navigate these busy arteries that define the transit landscape of the region.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.6 mi on New Jersey Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and South River Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.5 miles in.
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 40.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Cranbury, NJ and Jersey City, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll and Njtp North: New York City.
Njtp Toll
2.9 mi in
|
~5m
Njtp North: New York City
3.5 mi in
|
~6m
About the Cities
Arriving in Jersey City, NJ
Full guide →Jersey City is New Jersey's second-largest city. Jersey City sits in Hudson County in the northeastern section of the state, across the Hudson from its older and bigger cousin, New York City, and south of Hoboken. It is frequently referred to as New York’s “sixth borough”. Until the early 1600s, the area was inhabited by Lenape Indians. The Dutch then settled here as a part of the colony of New Amsterdam. It evolved into an industrial powerhouse, with railroads winding up and down the city (some of these lines are still used today). Although Jersey City declined in the 1960s, an upswing began in the 1980s, and the city was transformed into what it is today.
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 54m. Total distance: 40.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.6 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $4.57 in tolls one way, starting with New Jersey Turnpike. 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 Jersey City, 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 3.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. 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 Jersey City, 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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