Origin
Highland Park, NJ
Morning in Highland Park on Sunday
Local time
9:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Highland Park, 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
42m
Distance
28.4 mi
46 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Highland Park, NJ
James Kampeis
Trip Overview
Highland Park, NJ to Jersey City, NJ is 28.4 miles and takes about 42m via New Jersey Turnpike and US 1, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Northeast region, moving from one part of New Jersey to another. It's a straightforward trip, primarily on major roadways, making it a convenient option for a quick commute or a short transit. You'll spend most of your time on highways, so expect a direct and efficient journey. Given the short distance and duration, this is an easy one-day trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 17.4 mi | 21m |
| US 1 | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Lincoln Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Woodbridge Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| I 287 | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| US 1 Truck | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Duncan Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 17.4 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Highland Park, NJ and Jersey City, NJ.
1
Start on Harper Place
58 ft
·
8 sec
·
Harper Place
2
Turn left onto South 4th Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
South 4th Avenue
3
Turn right onto Benner Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Benner Street
4
Continue on Volkert Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Volkert Street
5
Turn right onto CR 514
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodbridge Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward US 1 North: Newark
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Merge onto US 1
394 ft
·
6 sec
·
US 1
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on US 1
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 287 South, NJ 440 South: Staten Island, Raritan Center, Perth Amboy
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 287
0.7 mi
·
56 sec
·
I 287
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
263 ft
·
6 sec
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 95 North: New York
14
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
17 mi
·
21 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
15
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
Exit 15E
Toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Newark, Jersey City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork
322 ft
·
7 sec
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North: Jersey City, Doremus Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Jersey City
19
Merge onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Lincoln Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Use the left lane.
21
Turn right onto Duncan Avenue
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Duncan Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Turn left onto Olean Avenue
316 ft
·
13 sec
·
Olean Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Olean Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 4.7 and 25.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
4.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward I 287 South, NJ 440 South: Staten Island, Raritan Center, Perth Amboy
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 I 287 South, NJ 440 South: Staten Island...
7
5.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike
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 I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike
8
6.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York
8
25 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Newark, Jersey City
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 15E
Toward US 1 North Truck, US 9 North Truck: Newa...
8
25.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North: Jersey City, Doremus Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North: Jers...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.71 one way
$9.42 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.16 | $10.31 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.51 | $11.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.27 | $12.54 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.59
New Jersey Turnpike
(18.5 mi)
$2.59
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$3
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.98 | $1.82 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
9:43 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
22 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
42m 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 route has a highway-focused profile, with 81% of the drive utilizing major roadways like the New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. You'll experience long, uninterrupted stretches, including one segment of 17.4 miles solely on the New Jersey Turnpike. The character is predominantly that of a busy thoroughfare, designed for speed and efficiency rather than leisurely sightseeing. Expect consistent traffic flow typical of major arteries in a densely populated area.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.4 mi on New Jersey Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.7 miles in.
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 19 decision points packed into just 28.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Between Highland Park, NJ and Jersey City, NJ, road signs point toward Raritan Center, Perth Amboy, Njtp: New Jersey Turnpike and Njtp North: New York.
Raritan Center
4.7 mi in
|
~9m
Perth Amboy
4.7 mi in
|
~9m
Njtp: New Jersey Turnpike
5.8 mi in
|
~11m
Njtp North: New York
6.2 mi in
|
~12m
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 42m. Total distance: 28.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.4 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.59 in tolls one way, starting with New Jersey Turnpike. 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 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 4.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls 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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