Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
65.7 mi
106 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Lambertville, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Paterson to Lambertville is 65.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 27 minutes via I 287 and US 202, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a drive that is primarily on major roadways, making it a straightforward option for a single-day excursion. Given the relatively short duration, it's a good choice if you're looking for a quick connection between these two points without a significant time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 287 | 22.5 mi | 27m |
| US 202 | 18.8 mi | 27m |
| US 46 | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| Thomas Paine Highway | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Interstate 80 West | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Union Boulevard | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Old York Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Union Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 25 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,880 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~319 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 46 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Lambertville, NJ.
Start on Colt Street
Turn right onto Ellison Street
Turn left onto Church Street
Turn left onto Van Houten Street
Turn right onto CR 509
Turn slight left onto CR 509
Turn left onto CR 646
Continue on CR 646
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 46
Take the exit
Continue on I 80W
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 287
Keep slight left at fork onto I 287
Take the exit
Merge onto US 202; US 206
Enter roundabout onto US 202; NJ 31
Continue on US 202; NJ 31
Turn slight right onto NJ 179
Continue on NJ 179
Continue on NJ 179
Continue on NJ 179
Take the exit
Turn right onto NJ 29; NJ 179
Turn left onto South Main Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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.
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 32.9 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 39.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Ellison Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Van Houten Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto CR 509 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward I 287 South: Morristown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Take the exit toward US 202 South, US 206 South: Somerville, Flemington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$11.62 one way
$23.24 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $12.73 | $25.45 |
| premium | $5.24 | $13.56 | $27.13 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $13.84 | $27.68 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 23 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.7 | 0 | $6.90 | $3.15 |
| Efficient EV | 16.4 | 0 | $5.75 | $2.63 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.3 | 0 | $9.20 | $4.20 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Paterson on Wednesday
Local time
5:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Evening in Lambertville on Wednesday
Local time
5:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route is predominantly highway, with 79% of the drive on major roads. You'll encounter a stretch of 22.5 miles on I 287, indicating a significant portion of high-speed cruising. The transition from highway to surface roads will occur at some point before reaching Lambertville, likely after leaving the I 287 corridor. Be prepared for the typical exit and entrance ramps associated with interstate travel for a good part of this drive.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 287 and US 202. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Ellison Street.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 65.7 miles you will encounter 18 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: near the start (Ellison Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Van Houten Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CR 509 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
364 ft
Total Descent
376 ft
Highest Point
334 ft
~32.9 mi in
Elevation Range
261 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Paterson, NJ and Lambertville, NJ, road signs point toward Del Water Gap, Mahwah and Flemington.
Del Water Gap
Mahwah
Flemington
Founded 1792
For the township in the Hunter region of New South Wales, see Paterson (New South Wales). Paterson is New Jersey's third largest city (about 155,000 inhabitants as of 2022), and hosts a great attraction: the Great Falls, which are very extensive and second only to Niagara Falls in terms of volume of water in waterfalls east of the Mississippi. Paterson is 12 miles away from Manhattan. It is an ethnically diverse city that houses large Hispanic, Arab, Italian-American, African American and Bengali communities. South Paterson is home to one of the nation's largest Arab communities.
Top landmarks
Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County in the Skylands region of New Jersey.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 27m. Total distance: 65.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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