Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
15.8 mi
25 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newark, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Little Ferry, NJ
Garrison Gao
The drive from Newark, NJ to Little Ferry, NJ covers 15.8 miles and takes about 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on McCarter Highway, NJ 17, US 46 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.8 miles on McCarter Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.72 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| McCarter Highway | 5.8 mi | 6m |
| NJ 17 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| US 46 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| NJ 3 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Washington Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Broad Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Charles Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and Little Ferry, NJ.
Start on CR 510
Turn right
Turn straight onto Washington Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Turn right
Continue on CR 506 Spur
Turn left onto NJ 21
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto NJ 3
Take the exit
Continue on NJ 17
Continue on NJ 17
Turn left onto CR 40
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 46
Turn right onto Charles Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 9.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Broad Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NJ 3: Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 3 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NJ 17 North: Rutherford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$2.72 one way
$5.43 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $2.98 | $5.96 |
| premium | $5.13 | $3.19 | $6.38 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.66 | $0.76 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.38 | $0.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.21 | $1.01 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Newark on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Morning in Little Ferry on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
15.8 mi in 21m — 44% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: McCarter Highway.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near Broad Street.
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 14 decision points packed into just 15.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
61 ft
Total Descent
83 ft
Highest Point
50 ft
~9 mi in
Elevation Range
45 ft
Founded 1666
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.
Top landmarks
Founded 1894
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 21m. Total distance: 15.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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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