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.
Main Roads
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
Longest stretch:
I 287
— 22.5 mi, about 27m
Traffic on I-80
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
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 46 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Lambertville, 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, MahwahUse the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
1.9 mi·2 min
Exit 43AToward I 287 South: Morristown
14
Merge onto I 287
20 mi·24 min·I 287
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 287
2.6 mi·3 min·I 287
16
Take the exit
0.6 mi·42 sec
Exit 17Toward US 202 South, US 206 South: Somerville, FlemingtonUse the slight left / straight lanes.
17
Merge onto US 202; US 206
14 mi·20 min·US 202; US 206
Use the right lane.
18
Enter roundabout onto US 202; NJ 31
0.1 mi·11 sec·US 202; NJ 31
19
Continue on US 202; NJ 31
4.4 mi·6 min·US 202; NJ 31
20
Turn slight right onto NJ 179
1.0 mi·1 min·Old York Road
21
Continue on NJ 179
0.6 mi·1 min·Old York Road
22
Continue on NJ 179
445 ft·8 sec·Thomas Paine Highway
23
Continue on NJ 179
5.3 mi·6 min·Thomas Paine Highway
24
Take the exit
135 ft·3 sec
25
Turn right onto NJ 29; NJ 179
187 ft·10 sec·Bridge Street
26
Turn left onto South Main Street
49 ft·1 sec·South Main Street
27
Arrive at destination
South Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 18
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.
5
0 mi into trip|~0m in|Ellison Street
Turn right onto Ellison Street
Navigation decision point
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.
6
14.7 mi into trip|~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 287 South: Morristown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 43A
Toward I 287 South: Morristown
8
39.1 mi into trip|~49m in
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
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 17
Toward US 202 South, US 206 South: Somerville,...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.48 one way
$20.95 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg23 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$11.59
$23.19
premium
$4.81
$12.44
$24.87
diesel
$4.80
$12.41
$24.81
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 23 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Jul 13, 2026
Origin
Paterson, NJ
Afternoon
in Paterson on Sunday
Local time
1:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 2 to 12 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 2:25AM EDT until July 15 at 9:00PM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Extreme Heat Watch
Extreme Heat Watch issued July 13 at 2:08AM EDT until July 15 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Lambertville, NJ
Afternoon
in Lambertville on Sunday
Local time
1:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Sunny
SW 0 to 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 13 at 2:25AM EDT until July 15 at 9:00PM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Extreme Heat Watch
Extreme Heat Watch issued July 13 at 2:08AM EDT until July 15 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
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
1h 27m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
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.
79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.5 mi on I 287.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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.
Driving Effort10/10
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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
334 ft73 ft
Total Climb
364 ft
Total Descent
376 ft
Highest Point
334 ft
~32.9 mi in
Elevation Range
261 ft
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 Lambertville, NJ, road signs point toward Del Water Gap, Mahwah and Flemington.
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
•Great Falls — waterfalls on the Passaic River
•Passaic County Court House — courthouse in Paterson, New Jersey
•Lambert Castle — historic building in Paterson, New Jersey
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.5 miles on I 287. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Lambertville, 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: 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.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Thomas Edison 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 Lambertville, NJ before heading back.
