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Trip from Jersey City, NJ to Wayne, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

29m

Distance

22 mi

35 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 27m ★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Jersey City, NJ, NJ

Jersey City, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States

Wayne, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Jersey City, NJ to Wayne, NJ covers 22 miles and takes about 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on NJ 3, US 46, Tonnelle Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.9 miles on NJ 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.68 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NJ 3 10.9 mi 13m
US 46 3.7 mi 4m
Tonnelle Avenue 2.3 mi 2m
NJ 23 2 mi 2m
US 1 Truck 1.6 mi 2m
Duncan Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
Ryerson Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Newark-Pompton Turnpike 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: NJ 3 — 10.9 mi, about 13m

Traffic on I-80

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~5,323 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~318 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

16.7×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 98 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 Jersey City, NJ and Wayne, NJ.

1

Start on Olean Avenue

316 ft · 15 sec · Olean Avenue
2

Turn right onto Duncan Avenue

0.4 mi · 50 sec · Duncan Avenue
3

Turn right onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

0.9 mi · 1 min · US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Use the straight / right lanes.
4

Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

169 ft · 4 sec · US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Use the straight lane.
5

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward NJ 139 East, US 1 North, US 9 North: Hoboken, Holland Tunnel, Secaucus, Lincoln Tunnel Use the right lane.
6

Keep slight left at fork onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

0.7 mi · 55 sec · US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Toward US 1-9 North: Secaucus, Lincoln Tunnel Use the slight left lane.
7

Merge onto US 1; US 9

2.3 mi · 2 min · Tonnelle Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Turn straight onto NJ 3

11 mi · 13 min · NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Merge onto US 46

3.7 mi · 4 min · US 46
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward I 80 West, NJ 23 North: Delaware Water Gap, Butler
11

Merge onto NJ 23

2.0 mi · 2 min · NJ 23
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Toward Newark-Pompton Turnpike, Pequannock
13

Keep slight left at fork

385 ft · 10 sec
14

Continue on CR 683

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Newark-Pompton Turnpike
15

Turn left onto Ryerson Avenue

0.2 mi · 56 sec · Ryerson Avenue
Use the left lane.
16

Arrive at destination

Ryerson Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 21.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.5 mi into trip | ~1m in | US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

Turn right onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
1.3 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
9
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in

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

Use the right lane. Toward NJ 139 East, US 1 North, US 9 North: Hob...
8
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

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

Use the slight left lane. Toward US 1-9 North: Secaucus, Lincoln Tunnel
6
21.7 mi into trip | ~28m in | Ryerson Avenue

Turn left onto Ryerson Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.68 one way

$7.35 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $4.05 $8.09
premium $5.01 $4.34 $8.68
diesel $5.60 $4.85 $9.70

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.6 0 $2.31 $1.06
Efficient EV 5.5 0 $1.93 $0.88
EV Truck/SUV 8.8 0 $3.08 $1.41

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 1, 2026

Origin

Jersey City, NJ

Evening in Jersey City on Friday

Local time

6:21 PM

EDT

Current temp

85°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

SW 5 mph 87% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:35PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:33PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Destination

Wayne, NJ

Evening in Wayne on Friday

Local time

6:21 PM

EDT

Current temp

85°F

Showers And Thunderstorms

W 5 mph 88% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:35PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued September 1 at 4:33PM EDT until September 2 at 12:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

29m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

22 mi in 29m, mostly highway — 10.9 mi of that is on NJ 3.

83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on NJ 3.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 3 and US 46. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck.

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 22 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

290 ft 9 ft

Total Climb

378 ft

Total Descent

243 ft

Highest Point

290 ft

~15.7 mi in

Elevation Range

281 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Jersey City, NJ and Wayne, NJ, road signs point toward Secaucus and Butler.

Secaucus

1.4 mi in | ~2m

Butler

19 mi in | ~24m

About the Cities

Starting in Jersey City, NJ

Full guide →

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

  • • Holland Tunnel — road tunnel between Manhattan, New York and Jersey City, New Jersey in the Unite...
  • • Statue of Liberty National Monument — United States national monument
  • • Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal — former railroad terminal in Jersey City, New Jersey

Arriving in Wayne, NJ

Full guide →

Wayne is a city in New Jersey and home of William Paterson University.

Top landmarks

  • • Schuyler-Colfax House — historic house in New Jersey, United States

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 29m. Total distance: 22 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on NJ 3. 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 Wayne, 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 0.5 miles (US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison 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 Wayne, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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