Origin
Middlesex, NJ
Afternoon in Middlesex on Sunday
Local time
1:47 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Middlesex, NJ to Clifton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
31.3 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Middlesex, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 31.3-mile drive from Middlesex to Clifton, New Jersey, can be completed in about 51 minutes, making it an easy day trip. You'll navigate primarily via US 22 and the Garden State Parkway, with a short section on Allwood Road to reach your destination. Given its short distance and focused highway profile, this route is best suited for a single, efficient journey rather than an overnight split. Expect a fuel cost of around $5 for this trip. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, so you'll remain in familiar territory throughout this New Jersey excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 22 | 15.4 mi | 24m |
| Garden State Parkway | 10.5 mi | 14m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Mountain Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Passaic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Greenbrook Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| East Passaic Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 22
— 15.4 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Middlesex, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on Mountain Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Mountain Avenue
2
Turn left onto NJ 28
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Bound Brook Road
3
Turn slight right onto Ramsey Road
510 ft
·
25 sec
·
Ramsey Road
4
At end of road, turn right onto Greenbrook Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Greenbrook Road
5
Continue on Sebrings Mills Road
347 ft
·
15 sec
·
Sebrings Mills Road
6
Turn right onto US 22
8.6 mi
·
13 min
·
US 22
7
Continue on US 22
5.4 mi
·
8 min
·
US 22
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 22
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
US 22
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward GSP Toll North: Paterson
10
Merge onto GSP
10 mi
·
14 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
13
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
14
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
15
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Enter roundabout onto CR 602
261 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allwood Road
18
Continue on CR 602
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Allwood Road
19
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
20
Turn right onto Olga B Terrace
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
21
Turn right onto Hutton Road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hutton Road
22
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
441 ft
·
25 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
23
Turn left onto Donna Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Donna Drive
24
Turn right onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
25
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.7 miles from Middlesex, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 31 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Greenbrook Road
At end of road, turn right onto Greenbrook Road
Navigation decision point
5
17.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
27.8 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward Montclair, Nutley
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 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
5
29 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Turn left onto CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
31 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
Hutton Road
Turn right onto Hutton Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.19 one way
$10.38 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.68 | $11.37 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.07 | $12.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.91 | $13.82 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.63
Garden State Parkway
(10.5 mi)
$0.63
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.38 | $2.00 |
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
Clifton, NJ
Afternoon in Clifton on Sunday
Local time
1:47 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Chance Rain Showers
NW 6 mph
26% chance
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
5 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
51m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 83% of the journey on faster-paced roads. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 15.4 miles on US 22, offering a consistent driving experience for a significant portion of the trip. The profile suggests a drive that prioritizes efficiency over varied scenery, with most of your time spent on well-maintained, high-speed roadways. Expect a smooth, relatively uninterrupted flow as you make your way across the state.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.4 mi on US 22.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 22 and Garden State Parkway. You will hit about 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near Greenbrook Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 31.3 miles you will encounter 16 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 1 miles (Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.3 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.8 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 Middlesex, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North: Paterson, Montclair and Nutley.
Gsp Toll North: Paterson
17 mi in
|
~28m
Montclair
27.8 mi in
|
~43m
Nutley
27.8 mi in
|
~43m
About the Cities
Arriving in Clifton, NJ
Full guide →Clifton is a city in Passaic 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 51m. Total distance: 31.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.4 miles on US 22. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.63 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.
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 1 miles (Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 17.3 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.8 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, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown 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 Clifton, 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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