Origin
New Brunswick, NJ
Morning in New Brunswick on Sunday
Local time
10:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Brunswick, NJ to South Plainfield, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
9.8 mi
16 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Brunswick, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
South Plainfield, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 9.8-mile trip from New Brunswick to South Plainfield, New Jersey, is designed for a single day, taking about 18 minutes to complete. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with only about 24% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost is a low $2, making it an economical option. Given the short distance and duration, no overnight stays are necessary. This route stays within the Northeast region and the state of New Jersey, offering a straightforward local transit experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton Boulevard | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Metlars Lane | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Memorial Parkway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Stelton Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Livingston Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| New Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lakeview Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Route 18 Service Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hamilton Boulevard
— 2.5 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Brunswick, NJ and South Plainfield, NJ.
1
Start on Delavan Street
68 ft
·
9 sec
·
Delavan Street
2
Turn left onto CR 691
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Livingston Avenue
3
Turn right onto New Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
New Street
4
Turn straight onto Route 18 Service Road
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Route 18 Service Road
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: Piscataway
6
Merge onto NJ 18
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Memorial Parkway
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward Metlars Lane, Rutgers Athletic Center, Livingston Campus
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
165 ft
·
6 sec
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on CR 609
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Metlars Lane
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on CR 609
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Metlars Lane
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Continue on CR 609
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Metlars Lane
12
At end of road, turn left onto CR 529
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Stelton Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
13
Turn right onto CR 603
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Hamilton Boulevard
14
Continue on CR 603
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Hamilton Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Continue on CR 603
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Lakeview Avenue
16
Turn right onto Church Street
334 ft
·
16 sec
·
Church Street
17
Turn right onto Hamilton Boulevard
399 ft
·
22 sec
·
Hamilton Boulevard
18
Turn left onto South Plainfield Avenue
193 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Plainfield Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
South Plainfield Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 9.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 18 North: Piscataway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward NJ 18 North: Piscataway
7
3.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward Metlars Lane, Rutgers Athletic Center, Livingston Campus
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 Metlars Lane, Rutgers Athletic Center, L...
7
3.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
6.2 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CR 529 / Stelton Road
At end of road, turn left onto CR 529 / Stelton Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
9.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Church Street
Turn right onto Church Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.62 one way
$3.25 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.78 | $3.56 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.90 | $3.80 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.16 | $4.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.4 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 | 2.9 | 0 | $1.03 | $0.47 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.86 | $0.39 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $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
South Plainfield, NJ
Morning in South Plainfield on Sunday
Local time
10:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°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
26 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
18m 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 for most of this 9.8-mile journey. While 24% of the route includes highway driving, the majority unfolds on streets like Hamilton Boulevard, Metlars Lane, and Memorial Parkway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 2.5 miles on Hamilton Boulevard. This means you'll be navigating various intersections and traffic signals, so be prepared for frequent adjustments in speed and direction. The road character remains consistently local throughout, making it a direct, albeit busy, connection between the two New Jersey towns.
Only 24% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.5 mi on Hamilton Boulevard.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 9.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 New Brunswick, NJ and South Plainfield, NJ, road signs point toward Rutgers Athletic Center and Livingston Campus.
Rutgers Athletic Center
3.7 mi in
|
~6m
Livingston Campus
3.7 mi in
|
~6m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 9.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m 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 2.5 miles on Hamilton Boulevard. 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 South Plainfield, 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 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South Plainfield, 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 South Plainfield, NJ
More trips to South Plainfield, NJ
Explore more options from New Brunswick, NJ or browse trips ending in South Plainfield, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.