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Trip from Fair Haven, NJ to Paterson, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 14m

Distance

53.3 mi

86 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 9m ★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 11m

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

borough in New Jersey, United States

Fair Haven, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

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

Paterson, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 53.3-mile drive from Fair Haven, NJ, to Paterson, NJ, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 14 minutes. Designed as a single-day excursion, it keeps you within the familiar Northeast region of New Jersey. The route is predominantly highway-focused, with an estimated fuel cost of $9, making it an economical option for a short journey. You'll primarily navigate the Garden State Parkway and NJ 19, offering a direct path between these two New Jersey locations.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 45.1 mi 59m
NJ 19 1.7 mi 1m
East Front Street 1.6 mi 3m
Newman Springs Road 1.3 mi 1m
Shrewsbury Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
River Road 0.5 mi <1m
Main Street 0.3 mi <1m
Grand Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 45.1 mi, about 59m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fair Haven, NJ and Paterson, NJ.

1

Start on Fisk Street

33 ft · 3 sec · Fisk Street
2

Turn right onto Locust Avenue

0.1 mi · 31 sec · Locust Avenue
3

Turn left onto CR 10

0.7 mi · 1 min · East Front Street
4

Continue on CR 10

0.5 mi · 56 sec · River Road
5

Continue on CR 10

0.9 mi · 1 min · East Front Street
6

Turn left onto CR 13

216 ft · 4 sec · Rector Place
7

Continue on CR 13

0.9 mi · 1 min · Shrewsbury Avenue
8

Turn right onto CR 520

1.3 mi · 1 min · Newman Springs Road
9

Take the ramp

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward GSP Toll North
10

Merge onto GSP

6.3 mi · 7 min · Garden State Parkway
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 12 sec
Toward Crossover to Express Roadway Use the slight left lane.
12

Merge onto GSP

39 mi · 52 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
13

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 155A Toward NJ 19: Paterson Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14

Merge onto NJ 19

1.7 mi · 1 min · NJ 19
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Take the exit

313 ft · 7 sec
Toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
16

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 23 sec
Toward Grand Street Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
17

Turn right onto CR 638

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Grand Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Turn left onto CR 509

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Main Street
Use the straight lane.
19

Turn right onto CR 648

453 ft · 15 sec · Market Street
20

Turn left onto Colt Street

42 ft · 3 sec · Colt Street
21

Arrive at destination

Colt Street

Where to Stop

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

city in Union County, New Jersey, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Rahway, NJ

27 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.

Popular next leg

Rahway, NJ to Paterson, NJ

24.8 mi · 38m

Pacing Suggestions

Staten Island, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Rahway, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from Fair Haven, 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 11.3 and 53 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
11.3 mi into trip | ~17m in

Take the exit toward Crossover to Express Roadway

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward Crossover to Express Roadway
7
50.2 mi into trip | ~1h 10m in

Take the exit toward NJ 19: Paterson

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 155A Toward NJ 19: Paterson
8
52.6 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Grand Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward Grand Street
7
52.8 mi into trip | ~1h 13m in | CR 638 / Grand Street

Turn right onto CR 638 / Grand Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
53 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in | CR 509 / Main Street

Turn left onto CR 509 / Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.84 one way

$17.67 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $9.68 $19.36
premium $4.93 $10.34 $20.67
diesel $5.61 $11.77 $23.54

Estimated Tolls: $2.71

Garden State Parkway (45.1 mi) $2.71

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$3

Total

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16 0 $5.60 $2.56
Efficient EV 13.3 0 $4.66 $2.13
EV Truck/SUV 21.3 0 $7.46 $3.41

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% 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 20, 2026

Origin

Fair Haven, NJ

Late night in Fair Haven on Tuesday

Local time

5:41 AM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Paterson, NJ

Late night in Paterson on Tuesday

Local time

5:41 AM

EDT

Current temp

61°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 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 14m 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 highway-focused drive for the majority of this 53.3-mile journey, with 88% of the route utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 45.1 miles on the Garden State Parkway, providing a consistent pace for a significant portion of your travel. While the primary roads are NJ 19 and East Front Street towards the end, the overall character remains that of efficient highway travel, minimizing complex intersections and maximizing your time on the road.

88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 45.1 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 NJ 19. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.3 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.3 miles you will encounter 16 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 11.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 50.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 52.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Fair Haven, NJ and Paterson, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North and Crossover To Express Roadway.

Gsp Toll North

4.5 mi in | ~8m

Crossover To Express Roadway

11.3 mi in | ~17m

About the Cities

Arriving in Paterson, NJ

Full guide →

For the township in the Hunter region of New South Wales, see Paterson (New South Wales). Paterson is New Jersey's third largest city (about 155,000 inhabitants as of 2022), and hosts a great attraction: the Great Falls, which are very extensive and second only to Niagara Falls in terms of volume of water in waterfalls east of the Mississippi. Paterson is 12 miles away from Manhattan. It is an ethnically diverse city that houses large Hispanic, Arab, Italian-American, African American and Bengali communities. South Paterson is home to one of the nation's largest Arab communities.

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 14m. Total distance: 53.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 45.1 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $2.71 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 Paterson, 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 11.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 50.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 52.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

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