Origin
East Rutherford, NJ
Afternoon in East Rutherford on Friday
Local time
4:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from East Rutherford, NJ to Union, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
17.3 mi
28 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
East Rutherford, NJ
Dajana Blakcori
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
East Rutherford, NJ to Union, NJ is 17.3 miles and takes about 26 minutes via Paterson Avenue, Hackensack Street, and Meadow Road, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on surface roads, making it ideal if you're looking for a short, no-fuss transit between two points. You won't be spending much on gas, and the minimal travel time means you can easily fit this into any schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 21 | 6 mi | 6m |
| Garden State Parkway | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| Essex Freeway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| NJ 3 | 0.9 mi | <1m |
| Hackensack Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| NJ 17 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Meadow Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 21
— 6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between East Rutherford, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on Boiling Springs Avenue
124 ft
·
10 sec
·
Boiling Springs Avenue
2
Turn left onto CR 120
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Paterson Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 55
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
Hackensack Street
Use the straight lane.
4
At end of road, turn left onto CR 32
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Meadow Road
5
Turn slight right onto NJ 17
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
NJ 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward NJ 3 West: Newark
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto NJ 3
0.9 mi
·
57 sec
·
NJ 3
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward NJ 21: Paterson, Newark
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward NJ 21 North, NJ 21 South
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto NJ 21
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
NJ 21
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the ramp
50 ft
·
1 sec
Toward I 280 East, I 280 West: Harrison, Jersey City, The Oranges
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 280 West: The Oranges
14
Merge onto I 280
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 12A; 12B
Toward GSP: Oraton Parkway, Clinton Street, East Orange
Use the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 12B
Toward GSP: Garden State Parkway, Oraton Parkway
Use the slight left lane.
17
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward GSP South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
this road
19
Merge onto GSP
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Turn right onto CR 630
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
Use the right lane.
22
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 11.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward NJ 21: Paterson, Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 21: Paterson, Newark
8
3.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
8
11.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward GSP: Oraton Parkway, Clinton Street, East Orange
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 12A; 12B
Toward GSP: Oraton Parkway, Clinton Street, Eas...
10
11.5 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward GSP: Garden State Parkway, Oraton Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 12B
Toward GSP: Garden State Parkway, Oraton Parkwa...
8
11.8 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward GSP South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward GSP South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.89 one way
$5.78 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $3.18 | $6.36 |
| premium | $5.01 | $3.41 | $6.83 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $3.81 | $7.63 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.27
Garden State Parkway
(4.5 mi)
$0.27
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: 6.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.51 | $0.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Union, NJ
Afternoon in Union on Friday
Local time
4:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
21 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
26m 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 is entirely on surface roads, with no highway driving at all. The drive covers 17.3 miles and should take around 26 minutes. You'll be navigating through local streets for the entire duration. Expect to encounter frequent intersections and traffic signals typical of urban and suburban environments.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6 mi on NJ 21.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 21 and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 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 20 decision points packed into just 17.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
147 ft
10 ft
Total Climb
195 ft
Total Descent
174 ft
Highest Point
147 ft
~13.6 mi in
Elevation Range
136 ft
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 East Rutherford, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Newark, Jersey City, The Oranges, Orange and Gsp South.
Newark
2.7 mi in
|
~4m
Jersey City
9.5 mi in
|
~12m
The Oranges
9.5 mi in
|
~12m
Orange
11.3 mi in
|
~15m
Gsp South
11.8 mi in
|
~16m
About the Cities
Starting in East Rutherford, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1894
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County which is in the northeast part of New Jersey. Formerly known as the township of Boiling Springs, East Rutherford was renamed on May 23, 1893 when it was purchased by the Borough officers of the East Rutherford Borough. There was no change in the territory, only in the government and name. East Rutherford holds a population of approximately 10,000 residents. The small town occupies approximately 3.9 square miles and also houses hundreds of businesses and restaurants. It is still somewhat overshadowed by MetLife Stadium, home to the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets as well as a venue for various concerts and events.
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 26m. Total distance: 17.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6 miles on NJ 21. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.27 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 Union, 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 2.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Union, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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