Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
19.7 mi
32 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
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.
Jersey City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Fair Lawn, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Jersey City, NJ to Fair Lawn, NJ covers 19.7 miles and takes about 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NJ 3, NJ 21, Tonnelle Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on NJ 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.39 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 3 | 5.7 mi | 7m |
| NJ 21 | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Tonnelle Avenue | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| US 1 Truck | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| River Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| River Drive | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| McLean Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Duncan Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Jersey City, NJ and Fair Lawn, NJ.
Start on Olean Avenue
Turn right onto Duncan Avenue
Turn right onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Merge onto US 1; US 9
Turn straight onto NJ 3
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto NJ 21
Merge onto US 46
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 20
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Continue on CR 56
Turn left onto CR S-69
Continue on CR 507
Continue on CR 507
Turn right onto CR 76
Turn left onto 11th Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.4 and 16.6 — 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 NJ 139 East, US 1 North, US 9 North: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel, Secaucus, Lincoln Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck toward US 1-9 North: Secaucus, Lincoln Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NJ 21: Paterson, Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward Market Street, Paterson, Elmwood Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Market Street, Elmwood Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$3.39 one way
$6.77 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $3.72 | $7.43 |
| premium | $5.13 | $3.98 | $7.95 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $4.63 | $9.26 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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 Jersey City on Saturday
Local time
7:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Fair Lawn on Saturday
Local time
7:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Partly Cloudy
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.
19.7 mi in 28m, mostly highway — 5.7 mi of that is on NJ 3.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 3 and NJ 21. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 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 19 decision points packed into just 19.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.5 miles (US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
164 ft
Total Descent
103 ft
Highest Point
93 ft
~19.7 mi in
Elevation Range
90 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Jersey City, NJ and Fair Lawn, NJ, road signs point toward Secaucus, Newark, Paterson and Elmwood Park.
Secaucus
Newark
Paterson
Elmwood Park
Founded 1609
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.
Top landmarks
Bergen County is in the Gateway region at the northeastern corner of New Jersey. Bergen County and its many inner suburbs constitute a highly developed part of the New York City metropolitan area.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 19.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). 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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