Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Iselin, NJ
Garrison Gao
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Iselin, NJ to Union City, NJ is 26.9 miles and takes about 40m via Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays entirely within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its relatively short distance and mostly highway profile, it's a straightforward drive perfect for a single day. You'll spend most of your time on major parkways and turnpikes, so expect typical commuter traffic patterns. Consider this a functional route for getting between these two NJ locations efficiently.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 10.3 mi | 14m |
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Lincoln Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| 30th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Auth Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Iselin, NJ and Union City, NJ.
Start on Wright Street
Turn right onto Auth Avenue
Turn slight right onto NJ 27
Take the ramp
Continue on this road
Merge onto GSP
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 78
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95/NJTP North Tolls
Keep straight at fork
Continue on this road
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
Take the exit
Continue on NJ 495
Take the exit
Continue on 30th Street
Turn left onto CR 501
Continue on CR 501
Turn right onto 47th Street
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
Turn right onto 45th Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 11.3 and 25.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork toward I 78 East: Newark Airport, Newark
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep straight at fork toward I 95 North, NJTP North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
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
Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.62 one way
$9.25 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $5.07 | $10.15 |
| premium | $5.13 | $5.43 | $10.86 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $6.32 | $12.64 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.41
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Iselin on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Union City on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
You'll be on highways for about 80% of this 26.9-mile drive, with the longest continuous stretch on the Garden State Parkway covering 10.3 miles. The remaining portion will involve surface roads, likely with more frequent intersections and slower speeds as you approach your destination. Expect to encounter numerous exits and interchanges, especially on the main parkways. This means you'll need to stay alert for changing traffic conditions and lane guidance.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.3 miles in.
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 16 decision points packed into just 26.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 11.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
349 ft
Total Descent
243 ft
Highest Point
174 ft
~28.1 mi in
Elevation Range
166 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Iselin, NJ and Union City, NJ, road signs point toward Newark and Njtp North.
Newark
Njtp North
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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 26.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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