Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
50.9 mi
82 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Freehold, NJ
Aisling Kerr
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Freehold, NJ to Paterson, NJ covers 50.9 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Garden State Parkway, US Highway 9, NJ 18 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 31.2 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.50 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 31.2 mi | 43m |
| US Highway 9 | 7 mi | 9m |
| NJ 18 | 5 mi | 5m |
| South Main Street | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| NJ 19 | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Marlboro Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Broadway Road | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Freehold, NJ and Paterson, NJ.
Start on NJ 79; CR 537
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 79
Continue on NJ 79
Continue on NJ 79
Take the ramp
Merge onto NJ 18
Take the exit
Merge onto US 9
Take the exit
Merge onto GSP
Take the exit
Merge onto NJ 19
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto CR 638
Turn left onto CR 509
Turn right onto CR 648
Turn left onto Colt Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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.
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 25.4 miles from Freehold, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 8.9 and 50.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward US 9 North: The Amboys, New York
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NJ 19: Paterson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward Grand Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto CR 638 / Grand Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto CR 509 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$8.50 one way
$17.01 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $9.36 | $18.72 |
| premium | $5.01 | $10.04 | $20.09 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $11.22 | $22.44 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.87
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$2
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.34 | $2.44 |
| Efficient EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.13 | $3.26 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Late night in Freehold on Wednesday
Local time
3:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Clear
Destination
Late night in Paterson on Wednesday
Local time
3:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Clear
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.
50.9 mi in 1h 12m, mostly highway — 31.2 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US Highway 9. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8.9 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.9 miles you will encounter 15 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 8.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 47.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 50.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
277 ft
Total Descent
364 ft
Highest Point
180 ft
~43.7 mi in
Elevation Range
135 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Freehold, NJ to Paterson, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward New York along the way.
New York
Freehold is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Freehold is a great day or weekend trip for those who love history, architecture, shopping, and food.
Founded 1792
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 50.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m 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.
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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Freehold, NJ or browse trips ending in Paterson, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.
