Passaic, NJ to Surf City, NJ is 100.5 miles and takes about 2h 9m via Garden State Parkway Southbound, with a fuel budget near $17 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays entirely within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region down to the coast. Given its mostly highway profile and relatively short duration, it's a straightforward drive for a single day. Plan for a quick trip that gets you to your destination without much fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
50.3 miles from Passaic, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 6m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Garden State Parkway
81.7 mi
1h 40m
NJ 72
7.1 mi
10m
Garden State Parkway Southbound
6.2 mi
8m
Bloomfield Avenue
1.4 mi
2m
Long Beach Boulevard
1.1 mi
2m
Broadway
1 mi
1m
West Passaic Avenue
0.5 mi
<1m
East Passaic Avenue
0.4 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 81.7 mi, about 1h 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Passaic, NJ and Surf City, NJ.
1
Start on Passaic Avenue
95 ft·7 sec·Passaic Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 618
0.2 mi·20 sec·Paulison Avenue
3
Turn left onto CR 622
1.0 mi·1 min·Broadway
4
Continue on CR 622
0.2 mi·17 sec·Bloomfield Avenue
5
Continue on CR 622
0.2 mi·20 sec·Bloomfield Avenue
6
Continue on CR 622
0.6 mi·55 sec·Bloomfield Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Enter roundabout onto CR 622
160 ft·2 sec·Bloomfield Avenue
8
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi·37 sec·Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on CR 622
411 ft·9 sec·Darling Avenue
10
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi·50 sec·West Passaic Avenue
11
Continue on CR 652
0.4 mi·50 sec·East Passaic Avenue
12
Turn right onto CR 655
0.2 mi·31 sec·Watchung Avenue
13
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·26 sec
Toward GSP Toll South
14
Merge onto GSP
20 mi·28 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on Garden State Parkway
6.2 mi·8 min·Garden State Parkway Southbound
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto GSP
0.7 mi·49 sec·Garden State Parkway
17
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP
61 mi·1 hr 11 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
18
Take the exit
0.1 mi·25 sec
Exit 63Toward NJ 72: Long Beach Island, Pemberton
19
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi·40 sec
Toward NJ 72 East: Long Beach Island
20
Merge onto NJ 72
7.1 mi·10 min·NJ 72
Use the right lane.
21
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 72
190 ft·11 sec·West 9th Street
Toward North Long Beach Boulevard, Surf City, Barnegat LightUse the left / straight lanes.
22
Turn left onto CR 607
1.1 mi·2 min·Long Beach Boulevard
23
Turn right onto North 12th Street
151 ft·5 sec·North 12th Street
24
Arrive at destination
North 12th Street
Trip Plan
Since this is a relatively short, 2-hour drive, you have plenty of flexibility for when you depart. Leaving mid-morning could help you avoid peak rush hour traffic out of Passaic. With only 100.5 miles, you might not need many stops, but if you do, the Garden State Parkway has service areas. Keep an eye on your fuel; the estimated cost is $17, so topping up before you leave Passaic or at one of the Parkway's stations is a good idea.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 50.3 miles from Passaic, NJ, or about 1h 6m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 81.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 22 miles or 32m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 50.3 miles or 1h 6m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Surf City, NJ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Passaic, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Passaic, NJ
This is one driving day of about 100.5 miles and 2h 9m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 22 miles from Passaic, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Garden State Parkway for about 81.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 17
5 decision points cluster between mile 3.8 and 99.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.8 mi into trip|~6m in
Take the ramp toward GSP Toll South
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward GSP Toll South
6
30.9 mi into trip|~44m in|GSP / Garden State Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
91.9 mi into trip|~1h 55m in
Take the exit toward NJ 72: Long Beach Island, Pemberton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 63
Toward NJ 72: Long Beach Island, Pemberton
7
92.1 mi into trip|~1h 55m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 72 East: Long Beach Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward NJ 72 East: Long Beach Island
8
99.4 mi into trip|~2h 6m in|NJ 72 / West 9th Street
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 72 / West 9th Street toward North Long Beach Boulevard, Surf City, Barnegat Light
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward North Long Beach Boulevard, Surf City, B...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.27 one way
$34.54 round trip
$4.37/gal25.4 MPG avg35 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.79
$18.95
$37.91
premium
$5.13
$20.29
$40.57
diesel
$5.97
$23.61
$47.22
Estimated Tolls: $5.27
Garden State Parkway
(87.9 mi)$5.27
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$17
Tolls
$5
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$48–$73
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 35.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
30.2
0
$10.55
$4.82
Efficient EV
25.1
0
$8.79
$4.02
EV Truck/SUV
40.2
0
$14.07
$6.43
Gas CO2
35 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (66% 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 10, 2026
Origin
Passaic, NJ
Morning
in Passaic on Saturday
Local time
6:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
SW 9 to 13 mph22% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Surf City, NJ
Morning
in Surf City on Saturday
Local time
6:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Clear
SW 20 to 25 mph2% chanceLive forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
2h 9m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Today, the brick buildings on Main Street in West Orange, NJ seem quiet, betraying little evidence of the research, development, and innovation of their heyday. Visitors can step back in time to Thoma...
Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 17...
Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winte...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
Free
near mile 17.3
Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for...
18 mi from route
~45 min detour
Free
near mile 41.6
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is 95% highway, meaning you'll spend almost the entire 100.5 miles on paved, high-speed roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 81.7 miles on the Garden State Parkway. You'll transition to surface roads for the final portion of the drive as you approach Surf City. Expect frequent exits as you navigate the Garden State Parkway.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 81.7 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and NJ 72. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.8 miles in.
Driving Effort9/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 100.5 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 30.9 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 91.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
158 ft4 ft
Total Climb
279 ft
Total Descent
385 ft
Highest Point
158 ft
~7.2 mi in
Elevation Range
154 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 Passaic, NJ to Surf City, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Pemberton along the way.
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 9m. Total distance: 100.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 9m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 81.7 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $5.27 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 Surf City, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 30.9 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 91.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Surf City, NJ before heading back.
