Origin
Nutley, NJ
Morning in Nutley on Tuesday
Local time
10:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Nutley, NJ to Union City, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
9.9 mi
16 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 19m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 17m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 19m
8 PM
0h 15m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Nutley, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Nutley, NJ to Union City, NJ is 9.9 miles and takes about 15m via State Route 3, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within the Northeast region and the state of New Jersey, making it a straightforward local journey. Given its brief duration, this route is ideal for a quick trip or as part of a larger itinerary. You'll primarily be on main roads, so expect typical urban and suburban driving conditions. Plan for this trip to be a same-day endeavor.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| State Route 3 | 6.5 mi | 7m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Franklin Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Main Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 30th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Kingsland Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Hillside Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
State Route 3
— 6.5 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Nutley, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on Hillside Avenue
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Hillside Avenue
2
Turn right onto Vreeland Avenue
506 ft
·
30 sec
·
Vreeland Avenue
3
Turn left onto CR 645
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Franklin Avenue
4
Turn right onto NJ 7
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Kingsland Street
5
Turn left onto Passaic Avenue
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Passaic Avenue
6
Continue on CR 601
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Main Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
8
Continue on NJ 3
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
State Route 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Merge onto NJ 495
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
NJ 495
11
Take the exit
263 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
12
Continue on 30th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
30th Street
13
Turn left onto CR 501
296 ft
·
16 sec
·
John F Kennedy Boulevard
14
Continue on CR 501
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
15
Turn right onto 47th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
47th Street
16
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bergenline Avenue
17
Turn right onto 45th Street
64 ft
·
2 sec
·
45th Street
18
Arrive at destination
45th Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 9.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Vreeland Avenue
Turn right onto Vreeland Avenue
Navigation decision point
7
8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Bou...
7
8.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
5
9.8 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Bergenline Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
9.9 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
45th Street
Turn right onto 45th Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.64 one way
$3.28 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.80 | $3.60 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.92 | $3.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.19 | $4.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 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 | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $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
Union City, NJ
Morning in Union City on Tuesday
Local time
10:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
15 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
15m 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?
This drive is heavily focused on highway travel, with 68% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a consistent pace for the longest stretch of 6.5 miles along State Route 3. The character of the drive is predominantly that of a busy urban corridor, characterized by rapid transit between points. While there are other main roads like John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Franklin Avenue involved, the overall feel is one of efficient movement on well-traveled arteries.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on State Route 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on State Route 3 and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Vreeland Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 9.9 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Vreeland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Nutley, NJ
Full guide →Nutley is a town of 27,000 in Essex County, in Northern New Jersey.
Arriving in Union City, NJ
Full guide →Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey. Union City is a small city, roughly 1.283 square miles. It is bordered by Weehawken to the east, Jersey City to the south, North Bergen to the west and north, and West New York to the north.
Top landmarks
- • Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel — church building in New Jersey, United States of America
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 15m. Total distance: 9.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.5 miles on State Route 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.2 miles (Vreeland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Union City, 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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