Origin
Mendham, NJ
Morning in Mendham on Saturday
Local time
6:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mendham, NJ to Passaic, 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
42m
Distance
31 mi
50 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mendham, NJ
Dajana Blakcori
Passaic, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Mendham, NJ to Passaic, NJ is 31 miles and takes about 42 minutes via Washington-Mendham Road E, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within New Jersey, traversing the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive primarily on local roads, making it ideal for a quick hop between towns. Consider this route if you need to get from Mendham to Passaic without venturing onto major highways.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 7.3 mi | 7m |
| US 46 | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| I 287 | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| Mendham Road | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Paulison Avenue | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Interstate 80 East | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Washington-Mendham Road E. (Old Rt. 24) | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Washington Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Christopher Columbus Highway
— 7.3 mi, about 7m
Traffic on I-80
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 50 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,829 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~323 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15×
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 Mendham, NJ and Passaic, NJ.
1
Start on CR 510
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Mendham Road
2
Continue on CR 510
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington-Mendham Road E. (Old Rt. 24)
3
Continue on CR 510
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Mendham Avenue (Old Rt. 24)
4
Continue on CR 510
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Street
Use the straight lane.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto US 202; CR 510
113 ft
·
4 sec
·
West Park Place
6
Continue on US 202; CR 510
401 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Park Place
7
Continue on CR 510
501 ft
·
9 sec
·
Morris Street
8
Enter roundabout onto CR 510
52 ft
·
0 sec
·
Morris Street
9
Continue on CR 510
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Morris Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
10
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 287 North
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Merge onto I 287
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
I 287
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 41A
Toward I 80 East: Smith Road, New York City
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 41A
Toward I 80 East: New York City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 80E
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Interstate 80 East
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 80 East: Paterson, New York City
16
Merge onto I 80
7.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
17
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 53
Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
18
Merge onto US 46
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
19
Continue on US 46
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Take the exit
401 ft
·
14 sec
21
At end of road, turn left onto CR 618
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Paulison Avenue
Use the straight lane.
22
Turn left onto Passaic Avenue
95 ft
·
2 sec
·
Passaic Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Passaic Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 13 and 28.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
13 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 80 East: Smith Road, New York City
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 41A
Toward I 80 East: Smith Road, New York City
8
13.2 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 80 East: New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 41A
Toward I 80 East: New York City
6
15.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 80 East: Paterson, New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 80 East: Paterson, New York City
8
22.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
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 53
Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunn...
6
28.8 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
CR 618 / Paulison Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto CR 618 / Paulison Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.33 one way
$10.65 round trip
$4.37/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $5.85 | $11.69 |
| premium | $5.13 | $6.26 | $12.51 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $7.28 | $14.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.26 | $1.49 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.71 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.34 | $1.98 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Passaic, NJ
Morning in Passaic on Saturday
Local time
6:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°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
7 degrees warmer 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 entirely on surface roads, with 0% highway driving. You'll be navigating local streets for the entire 31 miles, with your longest stretch on a single road being undefined by the data. Expect to encounter typical suburban and town traffic patterns, with frequent intersections and potential for local slowdowns. You'll be on Washington-Mendham Road E and Mendham Avenue (Old Rt) for a good portion of the drive.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.3 mi on Christopher Columbus Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 around 13 miles in.
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 14 decision points packed into just 31 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
615 ft
111 ft
Total Climb
177 ft
Total Descent
681 ft
Highest Point
615 ft
Elevation Range
504 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.
Between Mendham, NJ and Passaic, NJ, road signs point toward New York City and Clifton.
New York City
13 mi in
|
~19m
Clifton
22.8 mi in
|
~31m
About the Cities
Arriving in Passaic, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1679
Passaic is a city in New Jersey.
Top landmarks
- • People's Bank and Trust Company Building — historic building in Passaic City, 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: 31 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 (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.3 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 9 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.
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 Passaic, 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 13 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 15.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Passaic, 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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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