Origin
Irvington, NJ
Morning in Irvington on Sunday
Local time
6:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Irvington, NJ to Union 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
26m
Distance
15.8 mi
25 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Irvington, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Irvington to Union City is 15.8 miles and takes about 26 minutes via New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a mixed drive that's mostly highway, making it a straightforward option for a quick transit between these two urban areas. It's a practical choice if you need to get from one point to the other with minimal fuss, ideal for a same-day journey.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Lyons Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Stuyvesant Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 30th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Bergenline Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
— 5.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Irvington, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on CR 619
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Stuyvesant Avenue
2
Turn left onto CR 602
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Lyons Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 78 East
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 78
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95/NJTP North Tolls
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
I 95/NJTP North Tolls
6
Keep straight at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North
7
Continue on this road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
this road
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 95, I 80, NJ 3: Lincoln Tunnel
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 16E
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on NJ 495
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
·
NJ 495
12
Take the exit
263 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
13
Continue on 30th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
30th Street
14
Turn left onto CR 501
296 ft
·
16 sec
·
John F Kennedy Boulevard
15
Continue on CR 501
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
16
Turn right onto 47th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
47th Street
17
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bergenline Avenue
18
Turn right onto 45th Street
64 ft
·
2 sec
·
45th Street
19
Arrive at destination
45th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 12.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 602 / Lyons Avenue
Turn left onto CR 602 / Lyons Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 78 East
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 78 East
7
5.5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep straight at fork toward I 95 North, NJTP North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North
8
6.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95, I 80, NJ 3: Lincoln Tunnel
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, I 80, NJ 3: Lincoln Tunnel
7
12.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16E
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.62 one way
$5.24 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.06 | $6.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.49 | $6.98 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.79
New Jersey Turnpike
(5.6 mi)
$0.79
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.66 | $0.76 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.38 | $0.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.21 | $1.01 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Union City, NJ
Morning in Union City on Sunday
Local time
6:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
14 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
26m 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 features a highway share of 59%, indicating a significant portion will be on faster roads. You'll experience a mixed drive, starting with stretches on the New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur and the Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway before transitioning to Lyons Avenue. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 5.6 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur, offering a taste of highway speed. As you progress, the road will shift from expressway conditions to more local arterial roads as you approach your destination.
59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur.
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 0.6 miles in near CR 602 / Lyons Avenue.
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 13 decision points packed into just 15.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (CR 602 / Lyons Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Irvington, NJ to Union City, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Njtp North along the way.
Njtp North
5.5 mi in
|
~8m
About the Cities
Arriving in Union City, NJ
Full guide →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.
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 26m. Total distance: 15.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). 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 5.6 miles on New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.79 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 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 0.6 miles (CR 602 / Lyons Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Union 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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