Origin
Mountainside, NJ
Morning in Mountainside on Sunday
Local time
6:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Mountainside, 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
36m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Mountainside, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick trip from Mountainside to Union City, expect a straightforward 22.5-mile journey that typically takes about 38 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stops along the way. You will primarily navigate via New Providence Road and the Garden State Parkway to complete the trek. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $4, it is an economical drive within the Northeast region. Because both the origin and destination are located in New Jersey, you will remain within the same state throughout the transit.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| US 22 | 5.3 mi | 9m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| Garden State Parkway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 30th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Bergenline Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
— 5.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mountainside, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on this road
403 ft
·
29 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right
245 ft
·
18 sec
3
Turn left
402 ft
·
35 sec
4
Turn left onto CR 645
424 ft
·
11 sec
·
New Providence Road
5
Turn left onto US 22
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
US 22
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on US 22
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
US 22
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward GSP Toll North: Paterson
8
Merge onto GSP
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 142A
Toward I 78 East: Newark Airport, Newark
11
Merge onto I 78
4.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95/NJTP North Tolls
0.1 mi
·
7 sec
·
I 95/NJTP North Tolls
13
Keep straight at fork
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North
14
Continue on this road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
this road
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 95, I 80, NJ 3: Lincoln Tunnel
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 16E
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on NJ 495
0.5 mi
·
37 sec
·
NJ 495
19
Take the exit
263 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
20
Continue on 30th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
30th Street
21
Turn left onto CR 501
296 ft
·
16 sec
·
John F Kennedy Boulevard
22
Continue on CR 501
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
23
Turn right onto 47th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
47th Street
24
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bergenline Avenue
25
Turn right onto 45th Street
64 ft
·
2 sec
·
45th Street
26
Arrive at destination
45th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 6.8 and 21.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
6.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 78 East: Newark Airport, Newark
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 142A
Toward I 78 East: Newark Airport, Newark
7
12.1 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep straight at fork toward I 95 North, NJTP North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North
8
13.5 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95, I 80, NJ 3: Lincoln Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95, I 80, NJ 3: Lincoln Tunnel
7
19.6 mi into trip
|
~30m 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
6
21.1 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.73 one way
$7.46 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.36 | $8.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.84
New Jersey Turnpike
(5.6 mi)
$0.79
Garden State Parkway
(0.8 mi)
$0.05
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Morning in Union City on Sunday
Local time
6:19 AM
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
2 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
36m 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 that demands your full attention as you transition between municipal roads and the Garden State Parkway. While the route spans 22.5 miles, it features a 0% highway share, meaning you won't be spending long, monotonous hours cruising at high speeds on wide-open interstates. Instead, the character of this drive is defined by the constant adjustments required for local traffic patterns. You will find that the road surface and flow change frequently as you move from the quieter streets of Mountainside toward the denser environment of Union City. Be prepared for a technical, hands-on driving experience rather than a passive highway commute.
77% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.6 mi on New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur and US 22. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.8 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 19 decision points packed into just 22.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Mountainside, NJ and Union City, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North: Paterson, Newark and Njtp North.
Gsp Toll North: Paterson
5.6 mi in
|
~10m
Newark
6.8 mi in
|
~12m
Njtp North
12.1 mi in
|
~19m
About the Cities
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 36m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (77%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.6 miles on New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.84 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 6.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls 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 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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