Origin
Park Ridge, NJ
Morning in Park Ridge on Tuesday
Local time
8:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Park Ridge, NJ to Union, 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
44m
Distance
30.1 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Park Ridge, NJ
David Kanigan
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
Park Ridge, NJ to Union, NJ is 30.1 miles and takes about 44 minutes via Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, single-day trip entirely within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its short distance and duration, it's an easy drive for a quick commute or a short excursion. You'll spend most of your time on a major parkway, making it a practical choice if you're looking for an efficient way to get between these locations without much fuss. Plan for a quick journey with minimal time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 25.3 mi | 33m |
| Werimus Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Pascack Road | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Woodcliff Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Van Emburgh Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Washington Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Harding Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 25.3 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Park Ridge, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on CR 63
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Pascack Road
2
Turn right onto CR 90
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodcliff Avenue
3
At end of road, turn left onto CR 71
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Werimus Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto CR 71
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Werimus Road
5
Continue on CR 71
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Van Emburgh Avenue
6
Turn left onto CR 502
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Washington Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
Toward GSP Toll South
8
Merge onto GSP
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Garden State Parkway
9
Keep slight left at fork onto GSP
24 mi
·
32 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn right onto CR 630
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 2.1 and 29.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.1 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
CR 71 / Werimus Road
At end of road, turn left onto CR 71 / Werimus Road
Navigation decision point
5
4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward GSP Toll South
Navigation decision point
Toward GSP Toll South
6
5.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
29.4 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward Vauxhall Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
5
29.7 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
CR 630 / Vauxhall Road
Turn right onto CR 630 / Vauxhall Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.99 one way
$9.98 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.47 | $10.93 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.84 | $11.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.65 | $13.29 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.52
Garden State Parkway
(25.3 mi)
$1.52
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$2
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.16 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.21 | $1.93 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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, NJ
Morning in Union on Tuesday
Local time
8:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Sunny
E 2 to 10 mph
1% chance
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m 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?
This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 84% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 25.3 miles on the Garden State Parkway, offering a consistent, relatively fast-paced journey. While the majority is highway, the initial and final segments will likely involve local roads like Werimus Road and Pascack Road, providing a brief change of pace before merging onto the parkway. Expect smooth sailing for most of the trip, with the ability to cover ground efficiently on the main artery.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.3 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Werimus Road. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.1 miles in near CR 71 / Werimus Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 30.1 miles you will encounter 10 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 2.1 miles (CR 71 / Werimus Road): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Park Ridge, NJ to Union, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Gsp Toll South along the way.
Gsp Toll South
4 mi in
|
~8m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 30.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 25.3 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.52 in tolls one way, starting with Garden State Parkway. 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, 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 2.1 miles (CR 71 / Werimus Road): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): 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, 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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