Origin
Morristown, NJ
Afternoon in Morristown on Sunday
Local time
2:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Morristown, NJ to Union City, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
34 mi
55 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
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Morristown, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 34-mile drive from Morristown, NJ, to Union City, NJ, is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 50 minutes. The route primarily utilizes major highways, with the New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway forming the bulk of your journey. Given the short distance and estimated fuel cost of $6, this is a convenient and budget-friendly option. You'll be navigating within the Northeast region, staying within the state of New Jersey for the entire trip. The highway-focused profile means you'll spend most of your time on faster-paced roads.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 14 mi | 17m |
| Garden State Parkway | 7.9 mi | 10m |
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Matawan Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Balmoral Avenue | 0.2 mi | 1m |
| Morristown Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 14 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Morristown, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on Hallandale Drive
315 ft
·
19 sec
·
Hallandale Drive
2
Turn left onto Balmoral Avenue
0.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Balmoral Avenue
3
At end of road, turn right onto CR 689
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Morristown Road
4
Turn left onto CR 626
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Matawan Road
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
6
Merge onto GSP
7.9 mi
·
10 min
·
Garden State Parkway
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 129
Toward I 95, NJTP: New York City, Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
9
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
10
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
this road
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City
12
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
14 mi
·
17 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
13
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP
6.2 mi
·
8 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 16E
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on NJ 495
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
·
NJ 495
16
Take the exit
263 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
17
Continue on 30th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
30th Street
18
Turn left onto CR 501
296 ft
·
16 sec
·
John F Kennedy Boulevard
19
Continue on CR 501
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
20
Turn right onto 47th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
47th Street
21
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bergenline Avenue
22
Turn right onto 45th Street
64 ft
·
2 sec
·
45th Street
23
Arrive at destination
45th Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 miles from Morristown, 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 0.3 and 31.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 689 / Morristown Road
At end of road, turn right onto CR 689 / Morristown Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
8
9.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward I 95, NJTP: New York City, Trenton
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 129
Toward I 95, NJTP: New York City, Trenton
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City
6
24.9 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
31.1 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16E
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.64 one way
$11.27 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.17 | $12.35 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.59 | $13.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.30
New Jersey Turnpike
(20.2 mi)
$2.83
Garden State Parkway
(7.9 mi)
$0.47
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$3
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Union City, NJ
Afternoon in Union City on Sunday
Local time
2:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
23 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
50m 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 highway-focused drive for this 34-mile journey, with 84% of the route being on major roadways. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 14 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike, offering a consistent pace. The primary roads guiding you are the New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and the New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur. This setup suggests a driving experience characterized by efficient travel and minimal local road detours. The character remains largely consistent due to its highway nature.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14 mi on New Jersey Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near CR 689 / Morristown Road.
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 16 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CR 689 / Morristown Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Morristown, NJ and Union City, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp: New York City, Trenton and Njtp North: New York City.
Njtp: New York City
9.2 mi in
|
~14m
Trenton
9.2 mi in
|
~14m
Njtp North: New York City
10.2 mi in
|
~16m
About the Cities
Starting in Morristown, NJ
Full guide →Morristown is a town of 19,000 people (2019) in Morris County, New Jersey. Morristown has been called "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the war for independence from Great Britain. This history is visible in a variety of locations throughout the town that collectively make up Morristown National Historical Park.
Arriving in Union City, NJ
Full guide →Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey. Union City is a small city, roughly 1.283 square miles. It is bordered by Weehawken to the east, Jersey City to the south, North Bergen to the west and north, and West New York to the north.
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 50m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $3.30 in tolls one way, starting with New Jersey Turnpike. 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 Union City, 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 0.3 miles (CR 689 / Morristown Road): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 10.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area (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 Union City, 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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