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Trip from Middletown, NJ to Glen Ridge, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

56m

Distance

38.6 mi

62 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Download GPX
township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States

Middletown, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Glen Ridge, NJ, NJ

Glen Ridge, NJ

Malcolm Garret

Trip Overview

The drive from Middletown, NJ to Glen Ridge, NJ covers 38.6 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Garden State Parkway, NJ 35, Belleville Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 30.2 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.45 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 30.2 mi 41m
NJ 35 5.2 mi 8m
Belleville Avenue 0.5 mi <1m
Franklin Street 0.4 mi <1m
Broad Street 0.3 mi <1m
New Monmouth Road 0.3 mi <1m
John F. Kennedy Drive North 0.3 mi <1m
Kings Highway 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 30.2 mi, about 41m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Middletown, NJ and Glen Ridge, NJ.

1

Start on CR 50

0.2 mi · 25 sec · Kings Highway
2

Turn left onto CR 50

0.3 mi · 32 sec · New Monmouth Road
3

Turn left onto NJ 35

5.2 mi · 8 min · NJ 35
Use the right lane.
4

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward GSP: Clark Street Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 13 sec
Toward Local, All Exits Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto GSP

30 mi · 41 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Exit 148 Toward CR 506, CR 509: Bloomfield, Glen Ridge Use the slight right lane.
8

Turn straight onto John F. Kennedy Drive North

0.3 mi · 34 sec · John F. Kennedy Drive North
Use the straight lane.
9

Turn left onto CR 509

0.4 mi · 51 sec · Franklin Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
10

Continue on CR 509

0.3 mi · 35 sec · Broad Street
11

Turn left onto CR 506

0.5 mi · 53 sec · Belleville Avenue
12

Turn right onto Sherman Avenue

0.1 mi · 36 sec · Sherman Avenue
13

Turn left onto Argyle Street

164 ft · 7 sec · Argyle Street
14

Arrive at destination

Argyle Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Metuchen, NJ, NJ

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Metuchen, NJ

19 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

New York City, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Metuchen, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.3 miles from Middletown, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 5.7 and 37.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
5.7 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the exit toward GSP: Clark Street

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward GSP: Clark Street
8
6.2 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Local, All Exits

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward Local, All Exits
5
6.4 mi into trip | ~10m 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
36.6 mi into trip | ~51m in

Take the exit toward CR 506, CR 509: Bloomfield, Glen Ridge

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 148 Toward CR 506, CR 509: Bloomfield, Glen Ridge
5
37.3 mi into trip | ~53m in | CR 509 / Franklin Street

Turn left onto CR 509 / Franklin Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.45 one way

$12.90 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $7.10 $14.20
premium $5.01 $7.62 $15.23
diesel $5.60 $8.51 $17.02

Estimated Tolls: $1.81

Garden State Parkway (30.2 mi) $1.81

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$2

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.6 0 $4.05 $1.85
Efficient EV 9.7 0 $3.38 $1.54
EV Truck/SUV 15.4 0 $5.40 $2.47

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Aug 28, 2026

Origin

Middletown, NJ

Late night in Middletown on Thursday

Local time

1:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

84°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

N 0 to 5 mph 38% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 28 at 1:03PM EDT until August 28 at 5:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Glen Ridge, NJ

Late night in Glen Ridge on Thursday

Local time

1:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 5 mph 31% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued August 28 at 1:03PM EDT until August 28 at 5:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

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

1 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

56m 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?

38.6 mi in 56m, mostly highway — 30.2 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.

92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.2 mi on Garden State Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and NJ 35. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 38.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.4 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

212 ft 35 ft

Total Climb

389 ft

Total Descent

304 ft

Highest Point

212 ft

~38.6 mi in

Elevation Range

177 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Middletown, NJ and Glen Ridge, NJ, road signs point toward Local, All Exits, Cr 506 and Cr 509: Bloomfield.

Local

6.2 mi in | ~10m

All Exits

6.2 mi in | ~10m

Cr 506

36.6 mi in | ~51m

Cr 509: Bloomfield

36.6 mi in | ~51m

About the Cities

Starting in Middletown, NJ

Full guide →

Founded 1693

Middletown is a bedroom community of New York City in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Middletown sits on the Raritan Bay within the Raritan Valley region. This article also covers Highlands borough. Residents like Middletown for its central location and proximity to the rest of the Jersey Shore.

Top landmarks

  • • Sandy Hook Light — lighthouse in New Jersey, United States
  • • All Saint's Memorial Church — historic church in Navesink, New Jersey
  • • PS Alexander Hamilton

Arriving in Glen Ridge, NJ

Full guide →

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 56m. Total distance: 38.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 30.2 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $1.81 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 Glen Ridge, 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 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.4 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Glen Ridge, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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