Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
30.7 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Edison, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Allentown, NJ
James Kampeis
The drive from Edison, NJ to Allentown, NJ covers 30.7 miles and takes about 43m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on New Jersey Turnpike, Central Jersey Expressway, US 1 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.6 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.13 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 21.6 mi | 24m |
| Central Jersey Expressway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| US 1 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Plainfield Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| State Route 18 | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Reed Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Central Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,295 veh/hr typical · worst 2,964
Quietest
2 AM
~86 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
26.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 90 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Edison, NJ and Allentown, NJ.
Start on this road
Continue on Reed Street
Turn left onto Central Avenue
Turn right onto CR 529
Turn right onto US 1
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto NJ 18; CR 527
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
Take the exit
Continue on this road
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 195
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto CR 524; CR 539
Turn sharp left onto CR 526
Turn left onto Maiden Lane
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.2 and 29.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 18 South: East Brunswick, Old Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward I 195: Trenton, Shore Points
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward CR 539: Hightstown, Allentown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Allentown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.13 one way
$10.26 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $5.65 | $11.29 |
| premium | $5.01 | $6.06 | $12.12 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.77 | $13.53 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.02
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$3
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.30 | $1.96 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Edison on Sunday
Local time
8:33 PM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Sunny
Destination
Evening in Allentown on Sunday
Local time
8:33 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Mostly Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
30.7 mi in 43m, mostly highway — 21.6 mi of that is on New Jersey Turnpike.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and Central Jersey Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.2 miles in.
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 18 decision points packed into just 30.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 26.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
161 ft
Total Descent
168 ft
Highest Point
140 ft
~13.2 mi in
Elevation Range
89 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Edison, NJ and Allentown, NJ, road signs point toward Brunswick, Njtp Toll, Njtp South: Trenton and Shore Points.
Brunswick
Njtp Toll
Njtp South: Trenton
Shore Points
Founded 1651
Edison is a city in Middlesex, New Jersey. The city is named after Thomas Alva Edison who carried out most of his life's work, including the invention of the phonograph and the lightbulb, here. Menlo Park, where Edison's laboratories were located has a Thomas Alva Edison Memorial Tower and Museum honoring him. The town of Edison now has a large concentration of Asians, and Oak Tree Road in Edison is the place to visit if you are looking for Indian food or Indian stores.
Top landmarks
Founded 1899
Allentown is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Allentown's shopping district has antique and specialty shops, as well as restaurants. Many historic homes and historic buildings are located in the borough.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 30.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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