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Trip from Newark, NJ to Parsippany, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

26m

Distance

18.4 mi

30 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 24m ★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
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Downtown Newark, NJ, NJ

Newark, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States

Parsippany, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Newark, NJ to Parsippany, NJ covers 18.4 miles and takes about 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Essex Freeway, Interstate 80 West, Parsippany Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12.5 miles on Essex Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.07 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Essex Freeway 12.5 mi 15m
Interstate 80 West 2.1 mi 2m
Parsippany Road 0.6 mi 1m
Raymond Boulevard 0.5 mi <1m
Orange Street 0.5 mi <1m
Littleton Road 0.4 mi <1m
Lock Street 0.3 mi <1m
Market Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Essex Freeway — 12.5 mi, about 15m

Traffic on I-280

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

8 AM

~4,644 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~178 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

26.1×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 74 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and Parsippany, NJ.

1

Start on CR 510

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Market Street
2

Turn right

217 ft · 7 sec
3

Turn straight onto Washington Street

0.1 mi · 20 sec · Washington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4

Turn left onto Raymond Boulevard

0.5 mi · 56 sec · Raymond Boulevard
5

Continue on Lock Street

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Lock Street
6

Continue on Nesbitt Street

0.1 mi · 24 sec · Nesbitt Street
7

Turn left onto Orange Street

0.5 mi · 57 sec · Orange Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 31 sec
Toward I 280 West: Garden State Parkway Use the left lane.
9

Merge onto I 280

13 mi · 15 min · Essex Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah Use the slight right lane.
11

Continue on I 80W

2.1 mi · 2 min · Interstate 80 West
Toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Exit 43B Toward I 287 North: Mahwah, Littleton Road, Smith Road Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 21 sec
Exit 43B Toward Smith Road, Littleton Road, Parsippany Road Use the slight right lane.
14

At end of road, turn left onto CR 630

0.4 mi · 45 sec · Littleton Road
Use the left lane.
15

Turn left onto CR 511

0.6 mi · 1 min · Parsippany Road
Use the left lane.
16

Turn left

204 ft · 15 sec
17

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.7 and 17.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
1.7 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the ramp toward I 280 West: Garden State Parkway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 280 West: Garden State Parkway
8
14.5 mi into trip | ~20m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah
9
17 mi into trip | ~23m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 287 North: Mahwah, Littleton Road, Smith Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 43B Toward I 287 North: Mahwah, Littleton Road, Smi...
10
17.2 mi into trip | ~23m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Smith Road, Littleton Road, Parsippany Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 43B Toward Smith Road, Littleton Road, Parsippany R...
6
17.3 mi into trip | ~24m in | CR 630 / Littleton Road

At end of road, turn left onto CR 630 / Littleton Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.07 one way

$6.15 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $3.38 $6.77
premium $5.01 $3.63 $7.26
diesel $5.60 $4.06 $8.11

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.5 0 $1.93 $0.88
Efficient EV 4.6 0 $1.61 $0.74
EV Truck/SUV 7.4 0 $2.58 $1.18

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Sep 2, 2026

Origin

Newark, NJ

Night in Newark on Wednesday

Local time

10:02 PM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

NE 2 to 7 mph 86% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:51PM EDT until September 1 at 10:15PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:42PM EDT until September 1 at 10:30PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Parsippany, NJ

Night in Parsippany on Wednesday

Local time

10:02 PM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Widespread Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

NE 0 to 5 mph 86% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:51PM EDT until September 1 at 10:15PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:42PM EDT until September 1 at 10:30PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

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 cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

26m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

18.4 mi in 26m, mostly highway — 12.5 mi of that is on Essex Freeway.

80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.5 mi on Essex Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Essex Freeway and Interstate 80 West. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 13 decision points packed into just 18.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

576 ft 32 ft

Total Climb

700 ft

Total Descent

394 ft

Highest Point

576 ft

~6.6 mi in

Elevation Range

544 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Newark, NJ to Parsippany, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Mahwah along the way.

Mahwah

14.5 mi in | ~20m

About the Cities

Starting in Newark, NJ

Full guide →

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

  • • Newark Liberty International Airport — international airport in Newark, New Jersey
  • • Newark Penn Station — railway station in Newark, New Jersey, United States
  • • Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart — cathedral in Newark, New Jersey

Arriving in Parsippany, NJ

Full guide →

Parsippany is a city in Morris County, New Jersey. There is a lot of history in the town dating back to the 1700s. Many old buildings and houses have been preserved and kept in the town such as the 1870 Condit house, 1790 Littleton School house, and the 1783 Isaac Beach House.

Top landmarks

  • • Bowers-Livingston-Osborn House — historic house in Morris County, New Jersey

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 26m. Total distance: 18.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.5 miles on Essex Freeway. 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 Parsippany, 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 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17 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 Parsippany, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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