Origin
Elmwood Park, NJ
Late night in Elmwood Park on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmwood Park, NJ to Union, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
19 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmwood Park, NJ
Thomas Parker
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
Elmwood Park, NJ to Union, NJ is 19 miles and takes about 28m via Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically New Jersey, making it a convenient local journey. You'll mostly be on highway, so expect a quick transit rather than a leisurely exploration. Given its brevity and low fuel cost, this route is ideal for a quick errand, a short commute, or as a segment of a larger trip without requiring an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 13.5 mi | 19m |
| US 46 | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Mola Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Harding Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Linden Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 13.5 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmwood Park, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on Linden Avenue
128 ft
·
7 sec
·
Linden Avenue
2
Turn right onto Mola Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Mola Boulevard
3
Take the ramp
331 ft
·
9 sec
4
Merge onto US 46
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
US 46
Use the slight right lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
519 ft
·
12 sec
Toward NJ 19 North, GSP South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward GSP Toll South
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Merge onto GSP
13 mi
·
19 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto CR 630
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
Use the right lane.
11
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
12
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 18.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 46
Merge onto US 46
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 46
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
4.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward NJ 19 North, GSP South
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.
Toward NJ 19 North, GSP South
7
4.5 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward GSP Toll South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward GSP Toll South
7
18.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Vauxhall Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.15 one way
$6.30 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.45 | $6.90 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.68 | $7.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.19 | $8.39 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.81
Garden State Parkway
(13.5 mi)
$0.81
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| Efficient EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.66 | $0.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Union, NJ
Late night in Union on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
14 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
28m 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 drive is heavily highway-focused, with 90% of the journey on high-speed roads. You'll spend the majority of your time on the Garden State Parkway, including a continuous stretch of 13.5 miles. The route is designed for efficient travel, meaning you'll likely experience consistent speeds with limited interruptions. The profile suggests a straightforward, direct connection primarily utilizing major roadways like US 46 and Mola Boulevard alongside the Parkway.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US 46. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near US 46.
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 9 decision points packed into just 19 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Elmwood Park, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp South and Gsp Toll South.
Gsp South
4.4 mi in
|
~6m
Gsp Toll South
4.5 mi in
|
~6m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 19 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.5 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.81 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 Union, 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 0.9 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: 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, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown 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 Union, 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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