Origin
Newark, NJ
Late night in Newark on Sunday
Local time
3:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, NJ to East Franklin, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
28.2 mi
45 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
East Franklin, NJ
Matt Weissinger
Trip Overview
This 28.2-mile drive from Newark, NJ to East Franklin, NJ is a quick trip, estimated to take about 43 minutes. It's primarily a highway-focused route, with 79% of the journey on major roads like the New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. Given its short distance and duration, this route is perfectly suited as a day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $5, making it an economical option. You'll be traveling within the Northeast region, staying within New Jersey for the entire trip.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 17.3 mi | 20m |
| US 1 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| McCarter Highway | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Hamilton Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| NJ 81 | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| State Route 18 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Route 18 Service Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Mulberry Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 17.3 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and East Franklin, NJ.
1
Start on CR 510
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Market Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn right onto Mulberry Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Mulberry Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn slight right onto NJ 21
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
McCarter Highway
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto US 1; US 9
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
US 1; US 9
5
Continue on US 1; US 9
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
US 1; US 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
7
Continue on NJ 81
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 81
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
315 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
10
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
17 mi
·
20 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
11
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 9
Toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
323 ft
·
7 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
14
Merge onto NJ 18; CR 527
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 18
15
Take the exit onto CR 527
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
CR 527
Toward NJ 172: New Brunswick, Cook/Douglass Campus, Paul Robeson Boulevard, New Street, Highland Park
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn straight onto Route 18 Service Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 18 Service Road
Toward NJ 18 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
Toward NJ 27 South: Albany Street, Princeton
18
Turn straight onto NJ 27; CR 514
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
·
Albany Street
19
Turn right onto CR 514; CR 527
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Easton Avenue
20
Turn left onto CR 514
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Hamilton Street
21
Turn right onto North Lawrence Avenue
388 ft
·
17 sec
·
North Lawrence Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
North Lawrence Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 5.4 and 25.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
5.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
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 South, NJTP South: Trenton
8
23.2 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick
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 9
Toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick
8
23.9 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers Univ...
7
24.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers Univ...
7
25.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
CR 527
Take the exit onto CR 527 toward NJ 172: New Brunswick, Cook/Douglass Campus, Paul Robeson Boulevard, New Street, Highland Park
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward NJ 172: New Brunswick, Cook/Douglass Cam...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.68 one way
$9.35 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.12 | $10.24 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.47 | $10.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.23 | $12.45 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.42
New Jersey Turnpike
(17.3 mi)
$2.42
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$2
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.95 | $1.80 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
East Franklin, NJ
Late night in East Franklin on Sunday
Local time
3:36 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
16 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
43m 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 largely highway-focused drive for this route, with a significant 79% of the mileage on major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.3 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike, offering a consistent pace. While primarily highway, you will transition between major arteries like the New Jersey Turnpike and US 1, with McCarter Highway also forming part of the journey. This means you'll experience a mix of high-speed travel and approaches to urban areas.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.3 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 US 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.4 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 18 decision points packed into just 28.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.9 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 Newark, NJ and East Franklin, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South: Trenton, Rutgers University, Cook/Douglass Campus, Highland Park and Princeton.
Njtp South: Trenton
5.4 mi in
|
~11m
Rutgers University
23.9 mi in
|
~33m
Cook/Douglass Campus
25.1 mi in
|
~36m
|
via CR 527
Highland Park
25.1 mi in
|
~36m
|
via CR 527
Princeton
26.2 mi in
|
~38m
About the Cities
Starting in Newark, NJ
Full guide →Newark is New Jersey's largest city and second largest in Metro New York. Although one of the great historic cities of the Northeast and the most culture-rich city in the state, Newark is often overlooked in favor of Goliath-like Manhattan and towns along the Hudson River, such as Jersey City and Hoboken. While no longer the industrial powerhouse it once was, Newark remains one of America's major shipping, rail, and air hubs. Public transportation is abundant, making it easy to get to, from, and around the city. Newark has been economically disadvantaged for some time, and suffers from a bad reputation, often informed by negative stereotyping. Thanks in large part to a nationally high-profile mayor (Cory Booker, now a U.S.
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 43m. Total distance: 28.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.3 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.42 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 East Franklin, 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 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. 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 East Franklin, 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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