Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 26m
Distance
57.4 mi
92 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Crandon Lakes, NJ
David Kanigan
The drive from Elizabeth, NJ to Crandon Lakes, NJ covers 57.4 miles and takes about 1h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NJ 15 North, Essex Freeway, Christopher Columbus Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.6 miles on NJ 15 North. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 15 North | 14.6 mi | 20m |
| Essex Freeway | 11.5 mi | 14m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 11.4 mi | 13m |
| Grove Street | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| NJ 94 | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Kemah - Mecca Lake Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Halsey Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Halsey - Myrtle Grove Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 150 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~5,015 veh/hr typical · worst 5,922
Quietest
1 AM
~456 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Elizabeth, NJ and Crandon Lakes, NJ.
Start on this road
Turn right onto East Jersey Street
Turn right onto Jefferson Avenue
Turn sharp left onto East Grand Street
At end of road, turn right onto CR 623
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 27
Turn left onto CR 628
Turn right onto CR 509
Continue on CR 509
Turn slight left onto CR 509
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 280
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 80
Take the exit
Continue on NJ 15
Turn left onto NJ 94
At end of road, turn right onto US 206
Turn left onto CR 626
Continue on CR 626
At end of road, turn left onto CR 626
Continue on CR 521
Keep slight left at fork onto CR 521
Turn left onto Copeley Road
Turn right onto Minisink Road
Turn left onto Lone Pine Trail
Turn left onto Lower Lake West
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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.
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 28.7 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 31.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn sharp left onto East Grand Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Take the ramp toward I 280
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West: The Oranges
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West: The Oranges
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NJ 15 North: Sparta, Jefferson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$9.86 one way
$19.73 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $10.82 | $21.65 |
| premium | $5.13 | $11.59 | $23.17 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $13.48 | $26.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.03 | $2.76 |
| Efficient EV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.02 | $2.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23 | 0 | $8.04 | $3.67 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Morning in Elizabeth on Saturday
Local time
6:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Crandon Lakes on Saturday
Local time
6:04 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Mostly Cloudy
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.
57.4 mi in 1h 26m — 52% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: NJ 15 North.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near East Grand Street.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57.4 miles you will encounter 23 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (East Grand Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 7.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,590 ft
Total Descent
755 ft
Highest Point
1,007 ft
~41 mi in
Elevation Range
988 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Elizabeth, NJ to Crandon Lakes, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Jefferson along the way.
Jefferson
Founded 1665
Elizabeth is the fourth largest city in New Jersey.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 57.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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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