Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
24.8 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Wayne, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Elizabeth, NJ to Wayne, NJ covers 24.8 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NJ 21, NJ 3, US 46 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.5 miles on NJ 21. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.14 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 21 | 9.5 mi | 14m |
| NJ 3 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| US 46 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| US 1 | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| NJ 23 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Spring Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Ryerson Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Jersey Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,323 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~318 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 98 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Elizabeth, NJ and Wayne, NJ.
Start on this road
Turn left onto East Jersey Street
Turn left onto US 1; US 9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1; US 9
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 21
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Continue on NJ 3
Merge onto US 46
Take the exit
Merge onto NJ 23
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Continue on CR 683
Turn left onto Ryerson Avenue
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 24.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1; US 9
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 21 toward NJ 21, US 22: Newark, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NJ 3: Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 3 West: Clifton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto Ryerson Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.14 one way
$8.29 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $4.56 | $9.12 |
| premium | $5.01 | $4.89 | $9.79 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.47 | $10.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.47 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Elizabeth on Wednesday
Local time
11:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Cloudy
Destination
Night in Wayne on Wednesday
Local time
11:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
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.
24.8 mi in 35m, mostly highway — 9.5 mi of that is on NJ 21.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 21 and NJ 3. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in near US 1; US 9.
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 12 decision points packed into just 24.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles (US 1; US 9): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.5 miles (NJ 21): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
282 ft
Total Descent
134 ft
Highest Point
283 ft
~17.7 mi in
Elevation Range
274 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Elizabeth, NJ and Wayne, NJ, road signs point toward Downtown and Butler.
Downtown
Butler
Founded 1665
Elizabeth is the fourth largest city in New Jersey.
Top landmarks
Wayne is a city in New Jersey and home of William Paterson University.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 24.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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