Origin
Orange, NJ
Late night in Orange on Sunday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Orange, NJ to Union City, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
15.1 mi
24 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
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Orange, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick trip from Orange to Union City, expect a straightforward 15.1-mile journey that typically takes about 25 minutes. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as the short duration eliminates any need for an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the Essex Freeway, the New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur, and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. With a fuel budget of just $3, it is an incredibly economical drive within the Northeast region. Because the trip is so efficient, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your schedule around your own personal preferences rather than road fatigue.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 7.6 mi | 11m |
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| 30th Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Bergenline Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| 47th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Northfield Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 7.6 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Orange, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on this road
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
this road
Toward I 280 West
2
Merge onto I 280
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Essex Freeway
3
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 10
Toward CR 508: West Orange, South Orange, Montclair
Use the slight right lane.
4
Turn left onto CR 508 Spur
324 ft
·
11 sec
·
Northfield Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 280 East
6
Merge onto I 280
7.3 mi
·
11 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward Lincoln Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
9
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 16E
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on NJ 495
0.5 mi
·
37 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 13.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
0.5 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the exit toward CR 508: West Orange, South Orange, Montclair
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 10
Toward CR 508: West Orange, South Orange, Montc...
7
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 508 Spur / Northfield Avenue
Turn left onto CR 508 Spur / Northfield Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
7
8.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Lincoln Tunnel
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Lincoln Tunnel
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16E
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
6
13.7 mi into trip
|
~22m 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
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.50 one way
$5.01 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.74 | $5.48 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.93 | $5.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.33 | $6.67 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.43
New Jersey Turnpike
(3.1 mi)
$0.43
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.59 | $0.72 |
| Efficient EV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.32 | $0.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6 | 0 | $2.11 | $0.97 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Late night in Union City on Sunday
Local time
4:11 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
25m 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 25-minute drive leans heavily into a highway-focused profile, with 74% of the journey spent on high-speed roads. You will find yourself settling into a rhythm during the longest uninterrupted stretch, which covers 7.6 miles along the Essex Freeway. The character of the drive shifts from the freeway experience as you transition onto John F. Kennedy Boulevard, moving from high-speed interstate travel toward a more localized urban traffic flow. While the majority of your time is spent at highway speeds, the final portion of the 15.1-mile route requires a bit more attention as you navigate local infrastructure to reach your final destination.
74% 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: 7.6 mi on Essex Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Essex Freeway and New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 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 15.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.7 miles (CR 508 Spur / Northfield Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
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.
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 25m. Total distance: 15.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.6 miles on Essex Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.43 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 Union City, 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 0.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.7 miles (CR 508 Spur / Northfield Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown 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 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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