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Trip from Elizabeth, NJ to Shrewsbury, NJ

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

45m

Distance

33.8 mi

54 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m

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

Downtown Elizabeth, NJ, NJ

Elizabeth, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Shrewsbury, NJ, NJ

Shrewsbury, NJ

MINEIA MARTINS

Trip Overview

Elizabeth, NJ to Shrewsbury, NJ is 33.8 miles and takes about 45m via Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a quick trip entirely within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region further into the state. Given its short distance and highway focus, it's ideal for a single-day excursion, whether for a specific destination or a short hop between points. You'll spend most of your time on major roadways, so expect efficient travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 18.6 mi 21m
New Jersey Turnpike 6.9 mi 7m
Newman Springs Road 2.1 mi 3m
Exit to GSP and US Route 9 1.4 mi 2m
US 1 1.1 mi 1m
Bayway 0.8 mi 1m
Broad Street 0.6 mi 1m
GSP Southbound entrance 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 18.6 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elizabeth, NJ and Shrewsbury, 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

6.9 mi · 7 min · New Jersey Turnpike
11

Take the exit onto Exit 11

1.4 mi · 2 min · Exit to GSP and US Route 9
Exit 11 Toward GSP, US 9: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge Use the slight right lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward GSP South, US 9, NJ 440: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge, Perth Amboy Use the slight left lane.
13

Keep slight left at fork onto GSP Southbound entrance

0.5 mi · 1 min · GSP Southbound entrance
Toward GSP South: Garden State Parkway Use the slight left lane.
14

Merge onto GSP

3.0 mi · 3 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork onto GSP

0.7 mi · 49 sec · Garden State Parkway
16

Keep slight right at fork onto GSP

15 mi · 17 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
17

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 1 min
Exit 109 Toward CR 520: Red Bank, Lincroft Use the slight right lane.
18

Turn left onto CR 520

127 ft · 2 sec · Newman Springs Road
19

Continue on CR 520

2.0 mi · 3 min · Newman Springs Road
Use the straight lane.
20

Turn right onto NJ 35

0.6 mi · 1 min · Broad Street
21

Turn left onto White Street

226 ft · 10 sec · White Street
22

Arrive at destination

White Street

Where to Stop

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

17 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

Middletown, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.9 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 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 30.8 — 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
10.1 mi into trip | ~14m in | Exit 11 / Exit to GSP and US Route 9

Take the exit onto Exit 11 / Exit to GSP and US Route 9 toward GSP, US 9: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge

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 11 Toward GSP, US 9: Garden State Parkway, Woodbri...
8
11.5 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight left at fork toward GSP South, US 9, NJ 440: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge, Perth Amboy

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

Use the slight left lane. Toward GSP South, US 9, NJ 440: Garden State Pa...
7
11.8 mi into trip | ~17m in | GSP Southbound entrance

Keep slight left at fork onto GSP Southbound entrance toward GSP South: Garden State Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward GSP South: Garden State Parkway
8
30.8 mi into trip | ~40m in

Take the exit toward CR 520: Red Bank, Lincroft

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 109 Toward CR 520: Red Bank, Lincroft

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.60 one way

$11.21 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.14 $12.27
premium $4.93 $6.56 $13.11
diesel $5.61 $7.46 $14.93

Estimated Tolls: $2.08

Garden State Parkway (18.6 mi) $1.11
New Jersey Turnpike (6.9 mi) $0.97

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$2

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.1 0 $3.55 $1.62
Efficient EV 8.5 0 $2.96 $1.35
EV Truck/SUV 13.5 0 $4.73 $2.16

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% 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 15, 2026

Origin

Elizabeth, NJ

Morning in Elizabeth on Sunday

Local time

6:12 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Shrewsbury, NJ

Morning in Shrewsbury on Sunday

Local time

6:12 AM

EDT

Current temp

46°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

2 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

45m 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?

This is primarily a highway-focused drive, with 83% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll navigate segments of the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, including a significant uninterrupted stretch of 18.6 miles on the latter. The profile suggests a consistent speed for much of the journey. While Newman Springs Road marks the final approach, the majority of your time will be spent on these high-speed arteries, making for a direct and efficient transit.

83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.6 mi on Garden State Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway 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

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 33.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.

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 10.1 miles (Exit 11 / Exit to GSP and US Route 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.5 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.

Between Elizabeth, NJ and Shrewsbury, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike, Njtp South: Trenton, Gsp, Woodbridge, Gsp South and Perth Amboy - among others.

Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike

2.3 mi in | ~4m

Njtp South: Trenton

2.6 mi in | ~5m

Gsp

10.1 mi in | ~14m | via Exit 11

Woodbridge

10.1 mi in | ~14m | via Exit 11

Gsp South

11.5 mi in | ~16m

Perth Amboy

11.5 mi in | ~16m

Cr 520: Red Bank

30.8 mi in | ~40m

Lincroft

30.8 mi in | ~40m

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 45m. Total distance: 33.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 18.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $2.08 in tolls one way, starting with Garden State Parkway. 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 Shrewsbury, 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 10.1 miles (Exit 11 / Exit to GSP and US Route 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Gateway National Recreation Area and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (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 Shrewsbury, 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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