Origin
Hawthorne, NJ
Morning in Hawthorne on Sunday
Local time
7:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hawthorne, NJ to Jersey City, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
21.1 mi
34 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hawthorne, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Hawthorne, NJ to Jersey City, NJ is 21.1 miles and takes about 29m via NJ 3, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey. Expect a drive that blends highway speeds with some local road navigation. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick, single-day journey, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently without a significant time commitment. It's a straightforward drive that gets you where you need to go with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 3 | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| NJ 21 | 4.7 mi | 4m |
| McLean Boulevard | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Tonnelle Avenue | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| Lincoln Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Diamond Bridge Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| US 46 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 3
— 5.7 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hawthorne, NJ and Jersey City, NJ.
1
Start on Royal Avenue
76 ft
·
8 sec
·
Royal Avenue
2
Turn left onto CR 654
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Diamond Bridge Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 69
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lincoln Avenue
4
Continue on CR 504; CR 653
518 ft
·
9 sec
·
River Street
5
Keep slight left at fork onto CR 504; CR 653
158 ft
·
9 sec
·
River Street
6
Turn left onto NJ 20
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
2nd Avenue
7
Continue on NJ 20
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
McLean Boulevard
8
Continue on NJ 20
0.8 mi
·
51 sec
·
McLean Boulevard
9
Merge onto US 46
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
·
US 46
10
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 21
4.7 mi
·
4 min
·
NJ 21
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
368 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 9
Toward NJ 3: Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward NJ 3 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Use the slight left lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward NJ 3 East
14
Merge onto NJ 3
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on US 1; US 9
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Tonnelle Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1; US 9
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Tonnelle Avenue
Toward NJ 139 East, US 1 South, US 9 South: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel, Tonnele Avenue, Jersey City, Pulaski Skyway
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn right onto CR 501
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
18
Turn right onto Duncan Avenue
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Duncan Avenue
19
Turn right onto Olean Avenue
316 ft
·
13 sec
·
Olean Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
Olean Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 19.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CR 504; CR 653 / River Street
Keep slight left at fork onto CR 504; CR 653 / River Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
5.6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
NJ 21
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 21
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
10.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward NJ 3: Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
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.
Exit 9
Toward NJ 3: Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
7
10.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 3 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward NJ 3 East: Lincoln Tunnel
8
19.5 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue toward NJ 139 East, US 1 South, US 9 South: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel, Tonnele Avenue, Jersey City, Pulaski Skyway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward NJ 139 East, US 1 South, US 9 South: Hob...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.50 one way
$7.00 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.09 | $8.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.66 | $9.32 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.4 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 | 6.3 | 0 | $2.22 | $1.01 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
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
Jersey City, NJ
Morning in Jersey City on Sunday
Local time
7:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
3 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
29m 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 features a mixed profile, with 51% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 5.7 miles on NJ 3, offering a taste of faster travel. As you transition, the route incorporates other main roads like NJ 21 and McLean Boulevard, which means you'll experience a blend of high-speed sections and more typical urban or suburban driving. This variety keeps the drive engaging, moving from open highway to more controlled traffic environments as you approach your destination.
51% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on NJ 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near CR 504; CR 653 / River Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 21.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (CR 504; CR 653 / River Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 5.6 miles (NJ 21): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 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.
On the drive from Hawthorne, NJ to Jersey City, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Pulaski Skyway along the way.
Pulaski Skyway
19.5 mi in
|
~25m
|
via US 1; US 9
About the Cities
Arriving in Jersey City, NJ
Full guide →Jersey City is New Jersey's second-largest city. Jersey City sits in Hudson County in the northeastern section of the state, across the Hudson from its older and bigger cousin, New York City, and south of Hoboken. It is frequently referred to as New York’s “sixth borough”. Until the early 1600s, the area was inhabited by Lenape Indians. The Dutch then settled here as a part of the colony of New Amsterdam. It evolved into an industrial powerhouse, with railroads winding up and down the city (some of these lines are still used today). Although Jersey City declined in the 1960s, an upswing began in the 1980s, and the city was transformed into what it is today.
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 29m. Total distance: 21.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.7 miles on NJ 3. 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 Jersey City, 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 1.1 miles (CR 504; CR 653 / River Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 5.6 miles (NJ 21): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Jersey City, 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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