Origin
Paterson, NJ
Late night in Paterson on Sunday
Local time
3:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Paterson, NJ to Chester, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
34 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Chester, NJ
Aisling Kerr
Trip Overview
Paterson to Chester is 34 miles and takes about 49 minutes via US 46 and I-287, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward drive entirely within New Jersey, heading from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. The route offers a mixed driving experience, making it a convenient option for a quick trip or a leg of a larger journey. Consider this drive when you need a simple, relatively short transit between these two points without extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 46 | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| I 287 | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Mendham Road East | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| Mendham Road (Old Rt. 24) | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Interstate 80 West | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Union Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Washington-Mendham Road E. (Old Rt. 24) | 1.6 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
US 46
— 8.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Chester, NJ.
1
Start on Colt Street
216 ft
·
17 sec
·
Colt Street
2
Turn right onto Ellison Street
290 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ellison Street
3
Turn left onto Church Street
339 ft
·
20 sec
·
Church Street
4
Turn left onto Van Houten Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Van Houten Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Turn right onto CR 509
287 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
Use the right lane.
6
Turn slight left onto CR 509
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Broadway
7
Turn left onto CR 646
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Union Avenue
8
Continue on CR 646
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Union Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 46
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
US 46
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 80 West: Dover, Del Water Gap
12
Continue on I 80W
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Interstate 80 West
Toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
1.9 mi
·
2 min
Exit 43A
Toward I 287 South: Morristown
14
Merge onto I 287
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
I 287
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 36
Toward CR 510: Lafayette Avenue, Ridgedale Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward CR 510: Morris Avenue, Lafayette Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn straight onto CR 510
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Lafayette Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
Turn right onto CR 510
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Morris Street
19
Enter roundabout onto CR 510
183 ft
·
3 sec
·
Morris Street
20
Continue on CR 510
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Morris Street
Use the straight lane.
21
Turn slight right onto US 202; CR 510
225 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Park Place
Use the right lane.
22
Keep slight left at fork onto CR 510
487 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Park Place
Use the straight lane.
23
Continue on US 202; CR 510
119 ft
·
5 sec
·
North Park Place
24
Turn right onto CR 510
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Street
Use the right lane.
25
Continue on CR 510
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Mendham Avenue (Old Rt. 24)
26
Continue on CR 510
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington-Mendham Road E. (Old Rt. 24)
27
Continue on CR 510
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Mendham Road East
28
Continue on CR 510
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Mendham Road (Old Rt. 24)
29
Continue on CR 510
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Turnpike (Old Rt. 24)
30
Continue on CR 510
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Main Street
31
Continue on CR 513
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
32
Turn left onto Perry Street
66 ft
·
2 sec
·
Perry Street
33
Arrive at destination
Perry Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 miles from Paterson, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 21.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Van Houten Street
Turn left onto Van Houten Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 509 / Main Street
Turn right onto CR 509 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
20.4 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward CR 510: Lafayette Avenue, Ridgedale Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 36
Toward CR 510: Lafayette Avenue, Ridgedale Aven...
9
20.6 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CR 510: Morris Avenue, Lafayette Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CR 510: Morris Avenue, Lafayette Avenue
7
21.4 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
CR 510 / East Park Place
Keep slight left at fork onto CR 510 / East Park Place
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.64 one way
$11.27 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.17 | $12.35 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.59 | $13.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.05
Washington Turnpike (Old Rt. 24)
(0.8 mi)
$0.05
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$0
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Chester, NJ
Late night in Chester on Sunday
Local time
3:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
44°F
Madison, NJ
17 mi in
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
5 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
49m 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 journey features a mixed drive profile, with 44% of the route on highways. You'll encounter stretches on US 46 before transitioning to I-287, offering a blend of arterial road driving and faster highway speeds. The longest continuous stretch you'll navigate is 8.2 miles on US 46, providing a good sense of uninterrupted travel before you need to consider lane changes or exits. Expect the road conditions to vary, shifting from more local traffic patterns to the efficiency of interstate travel.
44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.2 mi on US 46.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 0.2 miles in near Van Houten Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 20 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Van Houten Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CR 509 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Paterson, NJ and Chester, NJ, road signs point toward Del Water Gap and Mahwah.
Del Water Gap
12.3 mi in
|
~16m
Mahwah
12.6 mi in
|
~17m
|
via I 80W
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m 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 8.2 miles on US 46. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.05 in tolls one way, starting with Washington Turnpike (Old Rt. 24). 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 Chester, 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 0.2 miles (Van Houten Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CR 509 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 20.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Thomas Edison 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 Chester, 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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