Origin
Newark, NJ
Morning in Newark on Sunday
Local time
10:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, NJ to Wharton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
28.9 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wharton, NJ
Alexa V. Mato
Trip Overview
This 28.9-mile drive from Newark, NJ, to Wharton, NJ, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 38 minutes. It's a straightforward journey, making it ideal as a single-day excursion. With an estimated fuel cost of $5, this route is budget-friendly. You'll navigate through New Jersey, staying within the Northeast region. The profile is a mixed drive, suggesting a blend of different road types, so expect some variety as you travel the 28.9 miles. Given the short duration and minimal distance, no overnight stops are necessary.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 12.5 mi | 15m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 12 mi | 13m |
| North Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Raymond Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Orange Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Lock Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Dewey Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Union Turnpike | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 12.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and Wharton, 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 left at fork
0.5 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 280 West, I 80 West
11
Merge onto I 80
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 34A
Toward NJ 15 South: Wharton
Use the right lane.
13
Turn straight onto NJ 15
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
West Union Turnpike
14
Turn right onto CR 642
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
East Dewey Avenue
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn left onto CR 634 Alt
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Chegwidden Way
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto CR 634
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
CR 634
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 1.7 and 27.8 — 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
6
14.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West, I 80 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 280 West, I 80 West
7
27 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward NJ 15 South: Wharton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 34A
Toward NJ 15 South: Wharton
6
27.5 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
CR 642 / East Dewey Avenue
Turn right onto CR 642 / East Dewey Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
27.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
CR 634 Alt / Chegwidden Way
Turn left onto CR 634 Alt / Chegwidden Way
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.79 one way
$9.58 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.25 | $10.50 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.60 | $11.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.38 | $12.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 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 | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.05 | $1.85 |
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
Wharton, NJ
Morning in Wharton on Sunday
Local time
10:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°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
18 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
38m 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?
The drive features a mixed profile, meaning you won't be on a single type of road for the entire 28.9 miles. Approximately 44% of the journey is on highways, including stretches on the Essex Freeway and Christopher Columbus Highway. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 12.5 miles on the Essex Freeway, offering a chance for consistent speed. As you transition towards Wharton, expect the character of the drive to change, likely incorporating more local roads like North Main Street, requiring adjustments in your driving pace.
44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
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?
8/10
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 1.7 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 12 decision points packed into just 28.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
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. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 38m. Total distance: 28.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m 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.
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 Wharton, 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. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (5 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 Wharton, 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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