Paterson to Morganville is 43.1 miles and takes about 1 hour via Garden State Parkway Southbound, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a straightforward drive primarily on the Garden State Parkway, making it a simple, direct option for getting between these two locations. It’s a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in a single day with minimal disruption to your schedule.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Garden State Parkway
28.6 mi
38m
Garden State Parkway Southbound
6.2 mi
8m
NJ 19
2 mi
2m
Freneau Avenue
1.8 mi
2m
Ravine Drive
1.4 mi
2m
Main Street
1 mi
1m
Ward Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Morristown Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 28.6 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Morganville, NJ.
1
Start on Colt Street
216 ft·17 sec·Colt Street
2
Turn right onto Ellison Street
0.2 mi·28 sec·Ellison Street
3
Turn right onto Memorial Drive
0.1 mi·14 sec·Memorial Drive
Use the right lane.
4
Turn right
267 ft·9 sec
5
Turn straight onto Ward Street
0.3 mi·34 sec·Ward Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on NJ 19
0.2 mi·17 sec·Oliver Street
7
Turn slight left onto NJ 19
2.0 mi·2 min·NJ 19
Use the slight left lane.
8
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Toward GSP SouthUse the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto GSP
24 mi·33 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Continue on Garden State Parkway
6.2 mi·8 min·Garden State Parkway Southbound
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto GSP
0.7 mi·49 sec·Garden State Parkway
12
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP
4.1 mi·4 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi·28 sec
Exit 120Toward Laurence Harbor, MatawanUse the slight right lane.
14
Continue on this road
339 ft·12 sec·this road
Use the left lane.
15
Turn slight right onto CR 626
0.2 mi·27 sec·Matawan Road
16
Continue on CR 626
0.2 mi·36 sec·Morristown Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn right onto CR 6A
1.4 mi·2 min·Ravine Drive
Use the right lane.
18
At end of road, turn right onto CR 516
1.0 mi·1 min·Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Continue on NJ 79
1.8 mi·2 min·Freneau Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
NJ 79
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 21.6 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 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 40.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Memorial Drive
Turn right onto Memorial Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
2.8 mi into trip|~4m in
Take the exit toward GSP South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward GSP South
6
34.1 mi into trip|~47m 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.
8
38.2 mi into trip|~52m in
Take the exit toward Laurence Harbor, Matawan
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 120
Toward Laurence Harbor, Matawan
6
40.3 mi into trip|~56m in|CR 516 / Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto CR 516 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.41 one way
$14.81 round trip
$4.37/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.79
$8.13
$16.26
premium
$5.13
$8.70
$17.40
diesel
$5.97
$10.13
$20.25
Estimated Tolls: $2.09
Garden State Parkway
(34.8 mi)$2.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$2
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.9
0
$4.53
$2.07
Efficient EV
10.8
0
$3.77
$1.72
EV Truck/SUV
17.2
0
$6.03
$2.76
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Forecast as of Sep 1, 2026
Origin
Paterson, NJ
Morning
in Paterson on Saturday
Local time
7:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy
NE 5 mph89% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 7:49PM EDT until September 1 at 8:15PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 7:35PM EDT until September 1 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Morganville, NJ
Morning
in Morganville on Saturday
Local time
7:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy
E 0 to 5 mph59% chanceLive forecast
Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 7:49PM EDT until September 1 at 8:15PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued September 1 at 7:35PM EDT until September 1 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
2 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
1h 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 drive is mostly highway, with 85% of the route on major roads. You'll spend the longest stretch, 28.6 miles, on the Garden State Parkway Southbound. NJ 19 will be your initial road out of Paterson before merging onto the Parkway. Be prepared for frequent exits and entrances as you navigate this busy corridor.
85% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.6 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Garden State Parkway Southbound. 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 Memorial Drive.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.1 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.2 miles (Memorial Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 34.1 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
182 ft10 ft
Total Climb
394 ft
Total Descent
319 ft
Highest Point
182 ft
~3.1 mi in
Elevation Range
172 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 Morganville, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp South, Laurence Harbor and Matawan.
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. Total distance: 43.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.09 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.
Yes — we found about 10 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 Morganville, 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 (Memorial Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 34.1 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison 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 Morganville, NJ before heading back.
