Origin
Hawthorne, NJ
Morning in Hawthorne on Sunday
Local time
6:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hawthorne, NJ to New Brunswick, 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 2m
Distance
40.6 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hawthorne, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
New Brunswick, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel the 49.7 miles from Hawthorne to New Brunswick, expect a straightforward journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 1 minute. This route is entirely local, staying off the highways to navigate through the Northeast region of New Jersey. Because the trip is short and efficient, it works perfectly as a quick day trip, requiring no overnight stays. With a fuel budget of just $8, it is a very economical way to commute between these two points. Keep in mind that this is a practical, no-frills drive designed for getting you to your destination without the complexity of long-distance interstate travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 23.8 mi | 33m |
| US 1 | 6.9 mi | 10m |
| NJ 19 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Garden State Parkway Southbound | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Wagaraw Road | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Lafayette Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 23.8 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hawthorne, NJ and New Brunswick, NJ.
1
Start on Royal Avenue
76 ft
·
5 sec
·
Royal Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 654
419 ft
·
18 sec
·
Diamond Bridge Avenue
3
Turn left onto CR 665
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lafayette Avenue
4
Turn right onto CR 504
0.6 mi
·
53 sec
·
Wagaraw Road
5
Turn slight left onto CR 504
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Goffle Road
6
Continue on CR 504
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Main Street
7
Continue on CR 504
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Holsman Street
8
Continue on CR 509
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Presidential Boulevard
9
Turn left onto CR 509
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Main Street
10
Turn right onto Memorial Drive
409 ft
·
14 sec
·
Memorial Drive
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto CR 509
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
West Broadway
Use the left lane.
12
Turn right onto CR 509
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Main Street
13
Turn right onto NJ 19
397 ft
·
9 sec
·
Ward Street
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on NJ 19
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Oliver Street
15
Turn slight left onto NJ 19
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 19
Use the slight left lane.
16
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP South
Use the slight left lane.
17
Merge onto GSP
24 mi
·
33 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
18
Continue on Garden State Parkway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Garden State Parkway Southbound
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 130B-A
Toward US 1: Newark, Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
20
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 130B
Toward US 1 South: Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
21
Merge onto US 1
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
US 1
22
Continue on US 1
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
US 1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Continue on US 1
4.7 mi
·
7 min
·
US 1
Use the slight right lane.
24
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward NJ 18: New Brunswick, East Brunswick
Use the slight right lane.
25
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Piscataway
Use the slight right lane.
26
Merge onto NJ 18; CR 527
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
State Route 18
27
Take the exit onto CR 527
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
CR 527
Toward NJ 172: New Brunswick, Cook/Douglass Campus, Paul Robeson Boulevard, New Street, Highland Park
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
28
Turn straight onto Route 18 Service Road
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Route 18 Service Road
Toward NJ 18 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Turn left onto Paul Robeson Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Paul Robeson Boulevard
Use the left lane.
30
Turn right onto Suydam Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Suydam Street
31
Turn left onto CR 691
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Livingston Avenue
32
Turn right onto Delavan Street
68 ft
·
3 sec
·
Delavan Street
33
Arrive at destination
Delavan Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.3 miles from Hawthorne, 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 235 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 38.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
CR 509 / West Broadway
Turn left onto CR 509 / West Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
30.8 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Newark, Trenton
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 130B-A
Toward US 1: Newark, Trenton
9
31 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 1 South: Trenton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 130B
Toward US 1 South: Trenton
7
38.3 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward NJ 18: New Brunswick, East Brunswick
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 18: New Brunswick, East Brunswick
9
38.4 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Piscataway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Piscataway
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.73 one way
$13.46 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.37 | $14.74 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.87 | $15.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.96 | $17.93 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.51
Garden State Parkway
(25.1 mi)
$1.51
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$2
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
| Efficient EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.55 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.68 | $2.60 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
New Brunswick, NJ
Morning in New Brunswick on Sunday
Local time
6:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°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
25 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 2m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind, as this route features a 0% highway share. You will spend your time navigating through local thoroughfares like Diamond Bridge Avenue, Lafayette Avenue, and Wagaraw Road. The experience behind the wheel is centered on navigating suburban streets, which requires your full attention compared to the mindless cruising found on major expressways. Since there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, the drive remains constant and engaging from start to finish. You should prepare for a steady pace that reflects the local nature of the roads connecting these two New Jersey cities.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.8 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 miles in near CR 509 / West Broadway.
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 40.6 miles you will encounter 23 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 2.6 miles (CR 509 / West Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 30.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 31 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Hawthorne, NJ and New Brunswick, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp South, Trenton, Brunswick and Piscataway.
Gsp South
5.2 mi in
|
~8m
Trenton
30.8 mi in
|
~45m
Brunswick
38.3 mi in
|
~56m
Piscataway
38.4 mi in
|
~57m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 40.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.8 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.51 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 New Brunswick, 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 2.6 miles (CR 509 / West Broadway): Lane positioning matters here; at 30.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 31 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 New Brunswick, 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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