Origin
Metuchen, NJ
Late night in Metuchen on Sunday
Local time
4:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Metuchen, NJ to Somerset, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
20m
Distance
9.9 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 19m
★
6 AM
0h 21m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 22m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Metuchen, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Somerset, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transit between Metuchen and Somerset, New Jersey, this 13.1-mile connection is a straightforward local drive. You can expect to spend about 20 minutes behind the wheel, making it an ideal day trip that requires no overnight planning. Navigating this route will cost you roughly $2 in fuel, keeping your travel expenses minimal. Because this journey stays entirely within the Northeast region, you will experience a familiar suburban landscape throughout the entire trip. It serves as a practical, efficient link for those needing to move between these two New Jersey towns without the complexity of a long-haul commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Durham Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Metlars Lane | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| NJ 18 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Franklin Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Landing Lane | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Middlesex Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Belmar Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Davidson Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Durham Road
— 3.1 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Metuchen, NJ and Somerset, NJ.
1
Start on NJ 27
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Middlesex Avenue
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn right onto CR 501
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
New Durham Road
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn slight right onto CR 529
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Stelton Road
4
Turn left onto CR 609
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Metlars Lane
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on (609)
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Metlars Lane
Use the left lane.
6
Turn slight right
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
7
Turn straight onto CR 609
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Metlars Lane
8
Turn right onto Davidson Road
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Davidson Road
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on Davidson Road
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Davidson Road
10
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward NJ 18 South: New Brunswick
11
Merge onto NJ 18
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 18
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward River Road, Piscataway, Highland Park
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn right onto CR 622
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
River Road
14
Turn left onto CR 609
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Landing Lane
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on CR 609
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Landing Lane
16
Continue on CR 617
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Franklin Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn right onto Belmar Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Belmar Street
18
At end of road, turn left onto Abbott Road
0.2 mi
·
47 sec
·
Abbott Road
19
Turn left onto West Point Avenue
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
West Point Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
West Point Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 7.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 501 / New Durham Road
Turn right onto CR 501 / New Durham Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
3.7 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
CR 609 / Metlars Lane
Turn left onto CR 609 / Metlars Lane
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
5.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Davidson Road
Turn right onto Davidson Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
7.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward River Road, Piscataway, Highland Park
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward River Road, Piscataway, Highland Park
5
7.8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
CR 609 / Landing Lane
Turn left onto CR 609 / Landing Lane
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.64 one way
$3.28 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.80 | $3.60 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.92 | $3.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.19 | $4.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.63 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Somerset, NJ
Late night in Somerset on Sunday
Local time
4:50 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
15 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
20m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate experience, as this route features zero highway miles. Your path primarily follows New Durham Road, Stelton Road, and Metlars Lane, requiring your full attention as you navigate through local traffic. Because you are sticking to surface streets, the road character remains consistent throughout the 20-minute duration. There are no long, uninterrupted stretches here, so be prepared for a drive defined by frequent turns and the pace of local transit. This is a purely utilitarian, hands-on driving experience that keeps you engaged with the surrounding area.
Only 10% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.1 mi on New Durham Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near CR 501 / New Durham Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 9.9 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 0.5 miles (CR 501 / New Durham Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (CR 609 / Metlars Lane): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (Davidson Road): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Metuchen, NJ and Somerset, NJ, road signs point toward Piscataway and Highland Park.
Piscataway
7.5 mi in
|
~13m
Highland Park
7.5 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Arriving in Somerset, NJ
Full guide →Somerset is a town in Somerset 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 20m. Total distance: 9.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.1 miles on New Durham Road. 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 Somerset, 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 (CR 501 / New Durham Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.7 miles (CR 609 / Metlars Lane): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.9 miles (Davidson Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Somerset, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Somerset, NJ
More trips to Somerset, NJ
Explore more options from Metuchen, NJ or browse trips ending in Somerset, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.