Origin
Lafayette, NJ
Afternoon in Lafayette on Sunday
Local time
1:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, NJ to Jersey 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
1h 7m
Distance
47.7 mi
77 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lafayette, NJ
Kelly
Trip Overview
This 47.7-mile drive from Lafayette, NJ, to Jersey City, NJ, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 7 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stops. You'll be navigating primarily along the Essex Freeway and Lafayette Road, with a portion on the Christopher Columbus Highway. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $8, making it an economical option. This route stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey, offering a clear path to your destination without significant regional transitions.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 13.5 mi | 17m |
| Lafayette Road | 11.4 mi | 17m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 11 mi | 12m |
| Rt 15 South | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Lincoln Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Ferry Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| McCarter Highway | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 13.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, NJ and Jersey City, NJ.
1
Start on Meadows Road
127 ft
·
9 sec
·
Meadows Road
2
Turn left onto NJ 15
11 mi
·
17 min
·
Lafayette Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on NJ 15
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Rt 15 South
4
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 80 East: New York
5
Merge onto I 80
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 47A
Toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
7
Continue on I 280
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 15
Toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Center
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto McCarter Highway
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
McCarter Highway
Use the left / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Raymond Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Raymond Boulevard
Use the left lane.
11
Turn straight onto Market Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Market Street
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on Ferry Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Ferry Street
13
Continue on Raymond Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Raymond Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
14
Continue on US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Lincoln Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto Duncan Avenue
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Duncan Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn left onto Olean Avenue
316 ft
·
13 sec
·
Olean Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
Olean Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.8 miles from Lafayette, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 46.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NJ 15 / Lafayette Road
Turn left onto NJ 15 / Lafayette Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
27.1 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 47A
Toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
8
41.3 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Take the exit toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Center
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 15
Toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Ce...
6
41.6 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
McCarter Highway
Turn right onto McCarter Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
7
46.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
|
US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.91 one way
$15.82 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.66 | $17.32 |
| premium | $4.93 | $9.25 | $18.50 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.53 | $21.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
| Efficient EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.68 | $3.05 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Jersey City, NJ
Afternoon in Jersey City on Sunday
Local time
1:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
44°F
Bloomingdale, NJ
24 mi in
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
9 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
1h 7m 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?
The drive presents a mixed experience, with 38% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on the Essex Freeway, which is the longest continuous section at 13.5 miles, suggesting periods of faster, more direct travel. However, the overall profile indicates a blend of highway driving with other road types, likely involving more local roads and varied speed limits as you approach Jersey City. Expect the road character to shift from more open highway to a more urbanized environment.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Essex Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 early in the drive near NJ 15 / Lafayette Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.7 miles you will encounter 11 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (NJ 15 / Lafayette Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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.
Between Lafayette, NJ and Jersey City, NJ, road signs point toward Newark, Belleville and Prudential Center.
Newark
27.1 mi in
|
~37m
Belleville
41.3 mi in
|
~55m
Prudential Center
41.3 mi in
|
~55m
About the Cities
Arriving in Jersey City, NJ
Full guide →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.
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 1h 7m. Total distance: 47.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). 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 13.5 miles on Essex Freeway. 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 Jersey 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: near the start (NJ 15 / Lafayette Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 41.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (5 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 Jersey 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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