Hopatcong, NJ to Union City, NJ is 44.5 miles and takes about 56 minutes via Christopher Columbus Highway and NJ 3, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a relatively short drive that primarily uses major roadways. You'll find this route to be a straightforward connection between two populated areas. Given its duration, it's ideal for a single-day trip, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Christopher Columbus Highway
24.2 mi
27m
NJ 3
10.5 mi
11m
US 46
3.7 mi
4m
Lakeside Boulevard
2 mi
3m
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
0.8 mi
1m
Landing Road
0.7 mi
1m
Ledgewood Landing Road
0.4 mi
<1m
NJ 495
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Christopher Columbus Highway
— 24.2 mi, about 27m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 200 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,958 veh/hr typical
· worst 5,804
Quietest
1 AM
~431 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 103 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hopatcong, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on Chincopee Avenue
73 ft·5 sec·Chincopee Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 607
0.2 mi·21 sec·Hopatchung Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto CR 607
2.0 mi·3 min·Lakeside Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
At end of road, turn right onto CR 631
0.7 mi·1 min·Landing Road
Use the right lane.
5
Continue on CR 631
0.4 mi·43 sec·Ledgewood Landing Road
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·47 sec
Toward I 80 East: New York
7
Merge onto I 80
24 mi·27 min·Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi·59 sec
Exit 53Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln TunnelUse the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto US 46
2.1 mi·2 min·US 46
10
Continue on US 46
1.6 mi·1 min·US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn slight left onto NJ 3
11 mi·11 min·NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi·33 sec
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy BoulevardUse the straight / right lanes.
13
Merge onto NJ 495
0.3 mi·24 sec·NJ 495
14
Take the exit
263 ft·6 sec
Toward Kennedy BoulevardUse the slight right lane.
15
Continue on 30th Street
0.2 mi·31 sec·30th Street
16
Turn left onto CR 501
296 ft·16 sec·John F Kennedy Boulevard
17
Continue on CR 501
0.8 mi·1 min·John F. Kennedy Boulevard
18
Turn right onto 47th Street
0.1 mi·28 sec·47th Street
19
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
0.1 mi·21 sec·Bergenline Avenue
20
Turn right onto 45th Street
64 ft·2 sec·45th Street
21
Arrive at destination
45th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 22.2 miles from Hopatcong, 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 43.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|CR 607 / Lakeside Boulevard
At end of road, turn right onto CR 607 / Lakeside Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
2.2 mi into trip|~4m in|CR 631 / Landing Road
At end of road, turn right onto CR 631 / Landing Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
27.9 mi into trip|~34m in
Take the exit toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
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 53
Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunn...
7
42.6 mi into trip|~51m in
Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Bou...
7
43.1 mi into trip|~52m in
Take the exit toward Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.44 one way
$14.87 round trip
$4.24/gal25.4 MPG avg16 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.67
$8.18
$16.37
premium
$5.01
$8.78
$17.56
diesel
$5.60
$9.81
$19.62
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
13.4
0
$4.67
$2.14
Efficient EV
11.1
0
$3.89
$1.78
EV Truck/SUV
17.8
0
$6.23
$2.85
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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.
Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026
Origin
Hopatcong, NJ
Late night
in Hopatcong on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Widespread Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy
0 mph84% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 10:09PM EDT until September 1 at 10:30PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 10:07PM EDT until September 1 at 10:15PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Union City, NJ
Late night
in Union City on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy
NE 3 to 7 mph86% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 10:09PM EDT until September 1 at 10:30PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 10:07PM EDT until September 1 at 10:15PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
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
4 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
56m on the road
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
About a third of this 44.5-mile drive is on highways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 24.2 miles on the Christopher Columbus Highway before transitioning to surface roads. Expect to encounter numerous exits and merges as you navigate through this section. The latter part of the drive on NJ 3 and US 46 will likely involve more local traffic and signals.
33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.2 mi on Christopher Columbus Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 0.2 miles in near CR 607 / Lakeside Boulevard.
Driving Effort8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 44.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CR 607 / Lakeside Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (CR 631 / Landing Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,021 ft8 ft
Total Climb
290 ft
Total Descent
1,138 ft
Highest Point
1,021 ft
Elevation Range
1,013 ft
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 Hopatcong, NJ to Union City, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Clifton along the way.
Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey.
Union City is a small city, roughly 1.283 square miles. It is bordered by Weehawken to the east, Jersey City to the south, North Bergen to the west and north, and West New York to the north.
Top landmarks
•Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel — church building in New Jersey, United States of America
Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 44.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (33%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 24.2 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway. 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 Union 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 0.2 miles (CR 607 / Lakeside Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (CR 631 / Landing Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Union City, NJ before heading back.
