Origin
Lakewood, NJ
Morning in Lakewood on Sunday
Local time
8:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lakewood, NJ to South Amboy, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
27.7 mi
45 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lakewood, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
South Amboy, NJ
Alexa V. Mato
Trip Overview
Lakewood, NJ to South Amboy, NJ is 27.7 miles and takes about 42 minutes via US Highway 9, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and entirely within New Jersey. Given its brevity and primarily highway profile, this is a straightforward drive perfect for a quick transfer or a segment of a larger New Jersey exploration. You'll find it's a practical route with minimal complexity, making it an easy addition to your travel plans.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US Highway 9 | 26.5 mi | 39m |
| Madison Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| US 9 | 0.2 mi | 1m |
| 8th Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US Highway 9
— 26.5 mi, about 39m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lakewood, NJ and South Amboy, 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
27 mi
·
39 min
·
US Highway 9
Use the straight lane.
4
Take the exit onto US 9
0.1 mi
·
59 sec
·
US 9
Toward US 9 North, NJ 35 North: New York
5
Continue on US 9; NJ 35
170 ft
·
2 sec
·
US 9; NJ 35
6
Arrive at destination
US 9; NJ 35
Heads-up: tricky spots
2 of 22 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 27.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue
Turn right onto US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
27.5 mi into trip
|
~41m in
|
US 9
Take the exit onto US 9 toward US 9 North, NJ 35 North: New York
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 9 North, NJ 35 North: New York
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.59 one way
$9.18 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.03 | $10.06 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.37 | $10.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.12 | $12.23 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.91 | $1.33 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.88 | $1.77 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
South Amboy, NJ
Morning in South Amboy on Sunday
Local time
8:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
25 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
42m 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?
This route is predominantly highway driving, with 96% of the 27.7 miles on highways. You'll experience a long stretch of 26.5 miles on US Highway 9, which is typical for this type of route. Expect frequent exits and merging traffic as you navigate this section. The final portion of the drive will transition off the main highway onto surface streets like Madison Avenue as you approach your destination.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
6 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.5 mi on US Highway 9.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US Highway 9 and Madison Avenue. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Lakewood, NJ to South Amboy, NJ is easy. At 42m with 96% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.5 miles (US 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Lakewood, NJ
Full guide →Lakewood is a town in Ocean County, New Jersey.
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 42m. Total distance: 27.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 26.5 miles on US Highway 9. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 (US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.5 miles (US 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Gateway National Recreation Area, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park. 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 South Amboy, 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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