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Trip from Edison, 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

40m

Distance

27.3 mi

44 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 37m ★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m

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

township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States

Edison, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 27.3-mile drive from Edison, NJ, to Jersey City, NJ, can be completed in about 40 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. The route is primarily highway-focused, with 77% of the journey on major roads, so expect a relatively swift transit. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $5, this trip is budget-friendly. You'll be staying within the Northeast region and within New Jersey for the entire journey. Given its short distance and efficient route, no overnight stay is necessary; you can easily tackle this drive in a single outing.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New Jersey Turnpike 17.4 mi 21m
Lincoln Highway 3.4 mi 6m
I 287 2 mi 2m
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur 1.1 mi 1m
US 1 Truck 0.7 mi 1m
Plainfield Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
Duncan Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
Reed Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: New Jersey Turnpike — 17.4 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Edison, NJ and Jersey City, NJ.

1

Start on this road

175 ft · 12 sec · this road
2

Continue on Reed Street

348 ft · 20 sec · Reed Street
3

Turn left onto Central Avenue

345 ft · 18 sec · Central Avenue
4

Turn right onto CR 529

0.4 mi · 1 min · Plainfield Avenue
5

Turn left onto NJ 27

1.9 mi · 3 min · Lincoln Highway
6

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward I 287 South, NJTP, GSP
7

Merge onto I 287

2.0 mi · 2 min · I 287
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight right at fork

263 ft · 6 sec
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward I 95 North: New York
11

Merge onto I 95; NJTP

17 mi · 21 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

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.7 and 24.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
4.7 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike

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 I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike
8
5.1 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York
8
24 mi into trip | ~34m 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
24.4 mi into trip | ~35m 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
24.4 mi into trip | ~35m 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...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.53 one way

$9.05 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $4.96 $9.91
premium $4.93 $5.29 $10.59
diesel $5.61 $6.03 $12.05

Estimated Tolls: $2.59

New Jersey Turnpike (18.5 mi) $2.59

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

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.2 0 $2.87 $1.31
Efficient EV 6.8 0 $2.39 $1.09
EV Truck/SUV 10.9 0 $3.82 $1.75

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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 Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Edison, NJ

Morning in Edison on Sunday

Local time

10:37 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers

W 10 mph 19% chance Live forecast

Destination

Jersey City, NJ

Morning in Jersey City on Sunday

Local time

10:37 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

17 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

40m 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?

Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 27.3-mile trip, with 77% of the drive utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 17.4 miles along the New Jersey Turnpike, offering a consistent pace. You'll also navigate sections of Lincoln Highway and I-287, providing a mix of well-traveled arteries. This route is characterized by its efficiency rather than scenic detours, prioritizing direct travel between Edison and Jersey City.

77% 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: 17.4 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 Lincoln Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 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 17 decision points packed into just 27.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.

Between Edison, NJ and Jersey City, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp, Gsp, Njtp: New Jersey Turnpike and Njtp North: New York.

Njtp

2.5 mi in | ~5m

Gsp

2.5 mi in | ~5m

Njtp: New Jersey Turnpike

4.7 mi in | ~8m

Njtp North: New York

5.1 mi in | ~10m

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 40m. Total distance: 27.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

40m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 17.4 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $2.59 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 4.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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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