Origin
Glen Gardner, NJ
Morning in Glen Gardner on Sunday
Local time
6:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Glen Gardner, NJ to Clifton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 11m
Distance
54 mi
87 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
4 AM
1h 6m
★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Glen Gardner, NJ
James Kampeis
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 54-mile drive from Glen Gardner, NJ, to Clifton, NJ, can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 11 minutes, making it a perfect one-day trip. The route is predominantly highway-focused, with 91% of the drive on major roads like Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway and Garden State Parkway, so you'll spend most of your time cruising. With an estimated fuel cost of $9, this is an economical journey for those looking to get from point A to point B efficiently. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, so you won't be crossing any major geographical divides on this short hop.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 35 mi | 40m |
| Garden State Parkway | 8.9 mi | 12m |
| NJ 31 | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Passaic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Passaic Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Bloomfield Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
— 35 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Glen Gardner, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on Gardner Lane
31 ft
·
2 sec
·
Gardner Lane
2
Turn left onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
56 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto Sanatorium Road
377 ft
·
21 sec
·
Sanatorium Road
4
Turn left onto NJ 31
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
NJ 31
5
Take the exit onto ramp to I-78/US 22 East
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
ramp to I-78/US 22 East
Toward I 78 East, US 22 East: Newark
6
Merge onto I 78; US 22
14 mi
·
15 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78
17 mi
·
19 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78
4.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 52
Toward GSP: G.S. Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP North Toll
11
Merge onto GSP
8.9 mi
·
12 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
14
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
15
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
16
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Enter roundabout onto CR 602
261 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allwood Road
19
Continue on CR 602
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Allwood Road
20
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
21
Turn right onto Olga B Terrace
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
22
Turn right onto Hutton Road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hutton Road
23
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
441 ft
·
25 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
24
Turn left onto Donna Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Donna Drive
25
Turn right onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
26
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27 miles from Glen Gardner, 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 215 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 50.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Sanatorium Road
Turn right onto Sanatorium Road
Navigation decision point
6
19.5 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
36.1 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
40.6 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Take the exit toward GSP: G.S. Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 52
Toward GSP: G.S. Parkway
8
50.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
Take the exit toward Montclair, Nutley
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.95 one way
$17.91 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.81 | $19.61 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.47 | $20.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.92 | $23.85 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.53
Garden State Parkway
(8.9 mi)
$0.53
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$1
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 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 | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.56 | $3.46 |
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.
Destination
Clifton, NJ
Morning in Clifton on Sunday
Local time
6:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
26 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 11m 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 experience for the majority of this 54-mile journey, with 91% of the route utilizing major expressways. You'll encounter a significant stretch of 35 miles on the Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway, offering a sustained period of consistent travel. While the exact nature of the road's evolution isn't detailed, the profile suggests a consistent, likely fast-paced drive with minimal deviations onto local roads. This means you'll be spending most of your time on well-maintained, high-speed thoroughfares designed for efficient transit.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 35 mi on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Sanatorium Road.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54 miles you will encounter 21 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 0.2 miles (Sanatorium Road): Navigation decision point; at 19.5 miles (I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 36.1 miles (I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway): 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Glen Gardner, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp North Toll, Montclair and Nutley.
Gsp North Toll
40.9 mi in
|
~50m
Montclair
50.5 mi in
|
~1h 4m
Nutley
50.5 mi in
|
~1h 4m
About the Cities
Arriving in Clifton, NJ
Full guide →Clifton is a city in Passaic County, 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 1h 11m. Total distance: 54 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 11m 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 35 miles on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.53 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 Clifton, 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 0.2 miles (Sanatorium Road): Navigation decision point; at 19.5 miles (I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 36.1 miles (I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park (5 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 Clifton, 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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