Origin
Elizabeth, NJ
Morning in Elizabeth on Tuesday
Local time
6:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elizabeth, NJ to Pennington, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 8m
Distance
47.4 mi
76 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Pennington, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning 47.4 miles across New Jersey, this journey from Elizabeth to Pennington is a straightforward local transit that you can easily complete in about 1 hour and 8 minutes. Given the modest travel time, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You should budget approximately $8 for fuel to cover the distance between these two Northeast locations. Because the route relies entirely on local roads rather than high-speed interstates, it offers a consistent, steady pace through the region. It is an ideal option if you are looking for a practical, no-fuss connection between these two points without the complexity of major highway systems.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 1 | 21 mi | 29m |
| New Jersey Turnpike | 14.9 mi | 17m |
| I 295 | 4.1 mi | 4m |
| Pennington Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| South Main Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Bayway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| State Route 18 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Jersey Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 1
— 21 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elizabeth, NJ and Pennington, NJ.
1
Start on this road
34 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East Jersey Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
East Jersey Street
3
Turn right onto US 1; US 9
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
US 1; US 9
4
Enter roundabout onto NJ 439
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Bayway
5
Continue on NJ 439
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Bayway
6
Turn right onto Brunswick Avenue
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Brunswick Avenue
Use the right lane.
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
Toward I 95 Toll, NJTP Toll: NJ Turnpike
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
15 mi
·
17 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
11
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 9
Toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
323 ft
·
7 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
14
Merge onto NJ 18; CR 527
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
State Route 18
15
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 1 South: Princeton, Trenton
16
Merge onto US 1
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Continue on US 1
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1
276 ft
·
4 sec
·
US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1
387 ft
·
6 sec
·
US 1
20
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
US 1
21
Continue on US 1
14 mi
·
19 min
·
US 1
Use the straight lane.
22
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 295 North: Philadelphia
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Merge onto I 295
4.1 mi
·
4 min
·
I 295
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 72
Toward NJ 31: Ewing, Pennington
Use the slight right lane.
25
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward NJ 31 North: Pennington
Use the straight / right lanes.
26
Merge onto NJ 31
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Pennington Road
Use the right lane.
27
Enter roundabout onto CR 640
470 ft
·
8 sec
·
Pennington Road
28
Continue on CR 640
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Pennington Road
29
Continue on CR 640
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
30
Turn right onto East Delaware Avenue
165 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Delaware Avenue
31
Turn left
124 ft
·
9 sec
32
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.7 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 255 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 44.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
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
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
8
18 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick
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 9
Toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick
8
18.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers Univ...
8
44.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward NJ 31: Ewing, Pennington
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 72
Toward NJ 31: Ewing, Pennington
8
44.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 31 North: Pennington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward NJ 31 North: Pennington
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.86 one way
$15.72 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.61 | $17.21 |
| premium | $4.93 | $9.19 | $18.39 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.47 | $20.93 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.08
New Jersey Turnpike
(14.9 mi)
$2.08
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$2
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.98 | $2.28 |
| Efficient EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.15 | $1.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19 | 0 | $6.64 | $3.03 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Pennington, NJ
Morning in Pennington on Tuesday
Local time
6:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
62°F
New Brunswick, NJ
24 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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 8m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. With a 0% highway share, you will spend the entire 47.4-mile trip navigating surface streets rather than cruising on wide-open interstates. Your path begins on East Jersey Street before transitioning through the Bayway Circle and onto Bayway, setting a consistent, localized rhythm for the duration of the trip. Because there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of highway, the drive feels more like a continuous series of turns than a singular, monotonous haul. You will find that the personality of this route is defined by its reliance on local infrastructure, making it a functional rather than scenic experience.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
32 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21 mi on US 1.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 1 and New Jersey Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.4 miles you will encounter 25 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 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
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 Pennington, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South: Trenton, Rutgers University and Trenton.
Njtp South: Trenton
2.6 mi in
|
~5m
Rutgers University
18.8 mi in
|
~24m
Trenton
19.5 mi in
|
~26m
About the Cities
Starting in Elizabeth, NJ
Full guide →Elizabeth is the fourth largest city in New Jersey.
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 1h 8m. Total distance: 47.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21 miles on US 1. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.08 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 Pennington, 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 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Pennington, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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