Origin
Fairfield, NJ
Morning in Fairfield on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairfield, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
25.1 mi
40 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fairfield, NJ
Aisling Kerr
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Fairfield, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ is 25.1 miles and takes about 36 minutes via NJ 21 and US 46, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip that keeps you within the Northeast region and entirely within New Jersey. Given its short distance and highway-focused profile, this route is ideal for those needing to connect two points efficiently without significant detours. You'll spend most of your time on major roadways, making it a practical choice for a quick transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 21 | 9 mi | 14m |
| US 46 | 6.2 mi | 7m |
| NJ 3 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| US 1 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Hollywood Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| East Jersey Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Craig Place | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Alan Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 21
— 9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairfield, NJ and Elizabeth, NJ.
1
Start on Alan Drive
183 ft
·
10 sec
·
Alan Drive
2
Turn right onto Craig Place
355 ft
·
17 sec
·
Craig Place
3
Turn right onto CR 625
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Hollywood Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
5
Merge onto US 46
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 46
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Turn slight left onto NJ 3
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto NJ 21
9.0 mi
·
14 min
·
NJ 21
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 1; US 9
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
US 1; US 9
11
Continue on US 1; US 9
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
US 1; US 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn right onto East Jersey Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Jersey Street
13
Turn right
34 ft
·
2 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 25.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Craig Place
Turn right onto Craig Place
Navigation decision point
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 46
Merge onto US 46
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
12 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
5
12.5 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
NJ 21
Merge onto NJ 21
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
25.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.16 one way
$8.32 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.56 | $9.12 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.87 | $9.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.54 | $11.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.64 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.51 | $1.61 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Elizabeth, NJ
Morning in Elizabeth on Tuesday
Local time
7:09 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
36m 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 predominantly highway-focused, with 91% of the journey utilizing major roads like NJ 21, US 46, and NJ 3. Expect a consistent pace for the majority of your travel, punctuated by a substantial stretch of 9 miles on NJ 21. The character of the road remains largely consistent, emphasizing efficient travel over scenic exploration. You'll experience a typical urban and suburban highway environment for the entire 36-minute duration.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9 mi on NJ 21.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 21 and US 46. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Craig Place.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 25.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Craig Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving 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 36m. Total distance: 25.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9 miles on NJ 21. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Elizabeth, 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: near the start (Craig Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison 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 Elizabeth, 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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