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Trip from Elizabethport, NJ to Plainsboro Center, NJ

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

Drive Time

51m

Distance

36.1 mi

58 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

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

city in and county seat of Union County, New Jersey, United States

Elizabethport, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Plainsboro Center, NJ, NJ

Plainsboro Center, NJ

Andrew Patrick Photo

Trip Overview

Elizabethport, NJ to Plainsboro Center, NJ is 36.1 miles and takes about 51 minutes via New Jersey Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays entirely within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a highway-focused experience that makes for a quick transit between locations. Given the short duration, this trip is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New Jersey Turnpike 24.5 mi 28m
Dey Road 4.6 mi 8m
US 130 1.6 mi 2m
Forsgate Drive 0.9 mi 1m
Exit 8A 0.8 mi 1m
2nd Street 0.6 mi 2m
3rd Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Brunswick Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: New Jersey Turnpike — 24.5 mi, about 28m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elizabethport, NJ and Plainsboro Center, NJ.

1

Start on Broadway

370 ft · 21 sec · Broadway
2

Turn left onto 2nd Street

0.6 mi · 2 min · 2nd Street
3

Turn right onto 3rd Avenue

0.3 mi · 56 sec · 3rd Avenue
4

Turn left onto Atlantic Street

0.3 mi · 44 sec · Atlantic Street
5

Continue on Cole Place

0.3 mi · 43 sec · Cole Place
6

Continue on Brunswick Avenue

0.3 mi · 42 sec · Brunswick Avenue
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

25 mi · 28 min · New Jersey Turnpike
11

Take the exit onto Exit 8A

0.8 mi · 1 min · Exit 8A
Exit 8A Toward NJ 32: Jamesburg, Cranbury Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward CR 535: Cranbury, South Brunswick Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn left onto CR 535

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Cranbury-South River Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto NJ 32

0.9 mi · 1 min · Forsgate Drive
15

Turn left onto US 130

1.6 mi · 2 min · US 130
16

Turn right onto CR 614

4.6 mi · 8 min · Dey Road
Use the straight lane.
17

Turn straight onto Edgemere Avenue

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Edgemere Avenue
18

Arrive at destination

Edgemere Avenue

Where to Stop

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

township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Edison, NJ

18 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

West Windsor, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Edison, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18 miles from Elizabethport, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.2 and 31.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

9
2.2 mi into trip | ~6m 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
6
2.3 mi into trip | ~6m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
8
27.3 mi into trip | ~35m in | Exit 8A

Take the exit onto Exit 8A toward NJ 32: Jamesburg, Cranbury

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 8A Toward NJ 32: Jamesburg, Cranbury
8
28.1 mi into trip | ~37m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CR 535: Cranbury, South Brunswick

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward CR 535: Cranbury, South Brunswick
6
31.3 mi into trip | ~42m in | CR 614 / Dey Road

Turn right onto CR 614 / Dey Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.98 one way

$11.97 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.55 $13.11
premium $4.93 $7.00 $14.00
diesel $5.61 $7.97 $15.94

Estimated Tolls: $3.44

New Jersey Turnpike (24.5 mi) $3.44

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$3

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.8 0 $3.79 $1.73
Efficient EV 9 0 $3.16 $1.44
EV Truck/SUV 14.4 0 $5.05 $2.31

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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

Elizabethport, NJ

Late night in Elizabethport on Sunday

Local time

12:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Plainsboro Center, NJ

Late night in Plainsboro Center on Sunday

Local time

12:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

63°F

Edison, NJ

18 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

3 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

51m 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 route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 73% of it utilizing major roadways like the New Jersey Turnpike. You'll encounter a significant uninterrupted stretch of 24.5 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike, offering a consistent pace. While the majority is fast-paced highway driving, the final segments on Dey Road and US 130 will introduce a slight shift in character as you approach your destination. The overall feel is efficient transit rather than a scenic exploration.

73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.5 mi on New Jersey Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and Dey Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.2 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 11 decision points packed into just 36.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.3 miles (Exit 8A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Elizabethport, NJ and Plainsboro Center, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike, Njtp South: Trenton, Cranbury, Cr 535: Cranbury and Brunswick.

Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike

1.9 mi in | ~5m

Njtp South: Trenton

2.2 mi in | ~6m

Cranbury

27.3 mi in | ~35m | via Exit 8A

Cr 535: Cranbury

28.1 mi in | ~37m

Brunswick

28.1 mi in | ~37m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 36.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.5 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $3.44 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 Plainsboro Center, 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 2.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.3 miles (Exit 8A): 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, 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 Plainsboro Center, 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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