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Trip from Elizabeth, NJ to Budd Lake, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

58m

Distance

39.9 mi

64 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 53m ★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m

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

Best Time
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Downtown Elizabeth, NJ, NJ

Elizabeth, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Budd Lake, NJ, NJ

Budd Lake, NJ

David Kanigan

Trip Overview

The drive from Elizabeth, NJ to Budd Lake, NJ covers 39.9 miles and takes about 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on NJ 10, NJ 24, Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.8 miles on NJ 10. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.67 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NJ 10 12.8 mi 18m
NJ 24 9.4 mi 11m
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway 4.6 mi 5m
US 46 3 mi 4m
Christopher Columbus Highway 1.9 mi 2m
North Broad Street 1.6 mi 2m
Hillside Avenue 1 mi 1m
I 287 0.9 mi 1m
Longest stretch: NJ 10 — 12.8 mi, about 18m

Traffic on I-287

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

8 AM

~5,359 veh/hr typical · worst 6,391

Quietest

3 AM

~298 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

18×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elizabeth, NJ and Budd Lake, NJ.

1

Start on this road

34 ft · 4 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto East Jersey Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · East Jersey Street
3

Turn right onto Jefferson Avenue

0.2 mi · 46 sec · Jefferson Avenue
4

Turn sharp left onto East Grand Street

0.2 mi · 30 sec · East Grand Street
5

At end of road, turn right onto CR 623

0.6 mi · 1 min · Broad Street
6

Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 27

1.6 mi · 2 min · North Broad Street
7

Turn left onto CR 628

1.0 mi · 1 min · Hillside Avenue
Use the left lane.
8

Turn right onto CR 509

0.4 mi · 49 sec · Chestnut Avenue
Use the right lane.
9

Turn right onto Paine Avenue

367 ft · 12 sec · Paine Avenue
10

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 78 West
11

Merge onto I 78

4.6 mi · 5 min · Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 48 Toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
13

Continue on NJ 24

9.4 mi · 11 min · NJ 24
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 56 sec
Toward I 287 North: Mahwah Use the slight right lane.
15

Merge onto I 287

0.9 mi · 1 min · I 287
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Exit 39 Toward NJ 10: Dover, Whippany Use the slight right lane.
17

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward NJ 10 West: Dover Use the slight left lane.
18

Continue on NJ 10

13 mi · 18 min · NJ 10
Use the straight / right lanes.
19

Continue on US 46

1.2 mi · 1 min · US 46
20

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 56 sec
Toward I 80 West
21

Merge onto I 80

1.9 mi · 2 min · Christopher Columbus Highway
22

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Exit 26 Toward US 46 West: Budd Lake, Hackettstown Use the slight right lane.
23

Turn straight onto US 46

0.2 mi · 24 sec · US 46
24

Continue on US 46

1.6 mi · 2 min · US 46
Use the straight lane.
25

Continue on Anderson Place

504 ft · 23 sec · Anderson Place
26

Turn left onto North Mount Olive Road

345 ft · 12 sec · North Mount Olive Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
27

Arrive at destination

CR 667

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Hanover, NJ

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

Stanhope, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Hanover, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20 miles from Elizabeth, 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 19

5 decision points cluster between mile 9.3 and 37.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
9.3 mi into trip | ~15m in

Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 48 Toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
7
19 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 287 North: Mahwah

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 287 North: Mahwah
8
20.4 mi into trip | ~29m in

Take the exit toward NJ 10: Dover, Whippany

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 39 Toward NJ 10: Dover, Whippany
7
20.6 mi into trip | ~29m in

Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 10 West: Dover

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward NJ 10 West: Dover
8
37.5 mi into trip | ~53m in

Take the exit toward US 46 West: Budd Lake, Hackettstown

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 26 Toward US 46 West: Budd Lake, Hackettstown

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.67 one way

$13.33 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $7.34 $14.68
premium $5.01 $7.87 $15.75
diesel $5.60 $8.80 $17.59

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12 0 $4.19 $1.92
Efficient EV 10 0 $3.49 $1.60
EV Truck/SUV 16 0 $5.59 $2.55

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.

Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026

Origin

Elizabeth, NJ

Morning in Elizabeth on Saturday

Local time

7:25 AM

EDT

Current temp

69°F

Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

NE 2 to 6 mph 84% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:16PM EDT until September 1 at 9:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued September 1 at 9:16PM EDT until September 1 at 9:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Budd Lake, NJ

Morning in Budd Lake on Saturday

Local time

7:25 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°F

Widespread Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

NE 0 to 5 mph 79% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:16PM EDT until September 1 at 9:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Tornado Warning

Tornado Warning issued September 1 at 9:16PM EDT until September 1 at 9:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

63°F

Hanover, NJ

20 mi in

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

4 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

58m 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?

39.9 mi in 58m, mostly highway — 12.8 mi of that is on NJ 10.

77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.8 mi on NJ 10.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 10 and NJ 24. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 9.3 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 19 decision points packed into just 39.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 9.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

1,036 ft 19 ft

Total Climb

1,275 ft

Total Descent

342 ft

Highest Point

1,036 ft

~37.1 mi in

Elevation Range

1,017 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Elizabeth, NJ and Budd Lake, NJ, road signs point toward Morristown, Whippany and Hackettstown.

Morristown

9.3 mi in | ~15m

Whippany

20.4 mi in | ~29m

Hackettstown

37.5 mi in | ~53m

About the Cities

Starting in Elizabeth, NJ

Full guide →

Founded 1665

Elizabeth is the fourth largest city in New Jersey.

Top landmarks

  • • Newark Liberty International Airport — international airport in Newark, New Jersey
  • • Elizabeth station — historic former railroad station in Elizabeth, New Jersey
  • • Belcher–Ogden Mansion; Benjamin Price House; and Price–Brittan House Historic District — historic district in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States

Arriving in Budd Lake, NJ

Full guide →

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 58m. Total distance: 39.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

58m 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 12.8 miles on NJ 10. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 Budd Lake, 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 9.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.4 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, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (5 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 Budd Lake, 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, 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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