Origin
Lakewood, NJ
Morning in Lakewood on Saturday
Local time
6:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lakewood, NJ to Mountain Lakes, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 38m
Distance
67.9 mi
109 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 31m
★
6 AM
1h 39m
8 AM
1h 53m
10 AM
1h 44m
12 PM
1h 42m
3 PM
1h 45m
5 PM
1h 53m
8 PM
1h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakewood, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Mountain Lakes, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lakewood, NJ to Mountain Lakes, NJ is 67.9 miles and takes about 1h 38m via US Highway 9 and Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Given its relatively short length and mostly highway profile, it's a straightforward drive. You'll find it's a convenient option for a quick trip between these two points, with minimal planning required.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
33.9 miles from Lakewood, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 51m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US Highway 9 | 26 mi | 38m |
| Garden State Parkway | 18.1 mi | 25m |
| NJ 24 | 9.4 mi | 11m |
| I 287 | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Fanny Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Madison Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US Highway 9
— 26 mi, about 38m
Traffic on I-287
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
8 AM
~5,359 veh/hr typical · worst 6,391
Quietest
3 AM
~298 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 103 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 Lakewood, NJ and Mountain Lakes, NJ.
1
Start on 8th Street
46 ft
·
4 sec
·
8th Street
2
Turn right onto US 9; CR 547
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Madison Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on US 9
26 mi
·
38 min
·
US Highway 9
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
5
Merge onto GSP
18 mi
·
25 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 142B
Toward I 78 West: Springfield
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 78
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 48
Toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
9
Continue on NJ 24
9.4 mi
·
11 min
·
NJ 24
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
Toward I 287 North: Mahwah
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 287
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
I 287
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 43
Toward Intervale Road, Mountain Lakes
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto US 202; CR 511
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Intervale Road
Use the left / right lanes.
14
Turn right onto Fanny Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Fanny Road
15
Turn sharp left onto CR 618
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Boulevard
16
Turn left onto Glen Road
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
Glen Road
17
Arrive at destination
Glen Road
Trip Plan
Since this drive is under two hours and under 70 miles, you have the flexibility to leave whenever it suits you best. Aiming for mid-morning or early afternoon can help you avoid the worst of any commuter traffic. With a fuel cost estimated at $12 and no recommended stops, you can easily complete this trip on a single tank. The longest stretch without a significant change in road type is 26 miles on US Highway 9, so plan your fuel accordingly before embarking on that segment if you're starting with a low tank.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 33.9 miles from Lakewood, NJ, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 26 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 15 miles or 22m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 33.9 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 23m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Mountain Lakes, NJ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Lakewood, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Lakewood, NJ
This is one driving day of about 67.9 miles and 1h 38m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 15 miles from Lakewood, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US Highway 9 for about 26 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
34 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 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 33.9 miles from Lakewood, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 45.5 and 65.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
45.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Take the exit toward I 78 West: Springfield
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 142B
Toward I 78 West: Springfield
7
49.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 13m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 48
Toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
7
59.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 25m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 287 North: Mahwah
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 287 North: Mahwah
8
65.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 33m in
Take the exit toward Intervale Road, Mountain Lakes
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 43
Toward Intervale Road, Mountain Lakes
7
65.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 34m in
|
US 202; CR 511 / Intervale Road
Turn left onto US 202; CR 511 / Intervale Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.67 one way
$23.34 round trip
$4.37/gal
25.4 MPG avg
24 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $12.80 | $25.61 |
| premium | $5.13 | $13.71 | $27.41 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $15.95 | $31.90 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.09
Garden State Parkway
(18.1 mi)
$1.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 23.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.13 | $3.26 |
| Efficient EV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 27.2 | 0 | $9.51 | $4.35 |
Gas CO2
24 kg
EV CO2
8 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
Mountain Lakes, NJ
Morning in Mountain Lakes on Saturday
Local time
6:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
3 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 38m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Today, the brick buildings on Main Street in West Orange, NJ seem quiet, betraying little evidence of the research, development, and innovation of their heyday. Visitors can step back in time to Thoma...
5 mi from route
~13 min detour
$10
near mile 46.8
Caution: Glenmont Heat Advisory
Morristown National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winte...
6 mi from route
~14 min detour
Free
near mile 58.5
View on nps.gov
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 17...
13 mi from route
~31 min detour
Free
near mile 65.5
View on nps.gov
Gateway National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for...
20 mi from route
~50 min detour
Free
near mile 44.5
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is primarily highway driving, with 92% of the 67.9 miles spent on high-speed roads. You'll experience a significant stretch of 26 miles on US Highway 9 before transitioning to the Garden State Parkway and NJ 24. Expect frequent exits and entrances as you navigate these major arteries, characteristic of driving through a developed corridor.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26 mi on US Highway 9.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 9 and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 45.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 67.9 miles you will encounter 13 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: at 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 49.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 59.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
490 ft
33 ft
Total Climb
505 ft
Total Descent
88 ft
Highest Point
490 ft
~67.9 mi in
Elevation Range
457 ft
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 Lakewood, NJ to Mountain Lakes, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Morristown along the way.
Morristown
49.9 mi in
|
~1h 13m
About the Cities
Starting in Lakewood, NJ
Full guide →Lakewood is a town in Ocean County, New Jersey.
Top landmarks
- • Georgian Court University — Private university in Lakewood Township, New Jersey. United States
Arriving in Mountain Lakes, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1924
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 38m. Total distance: 67.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26 miles on US Highway 9. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.09 in tolls one way, starting with Garden State Parkway. 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 Mountain Lakes, 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 45.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 49.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 59.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (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 Mountain Lakes, 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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