Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
55.2 mi
89 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
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
Oceanport, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Paterson, NJ to Oceanport, NJ is 55.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via the Garden State Parkway Southbound, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This northeastern New Jersey drive stays within the state, offering a straightforward journey. It's a quick trip perfect for a single-day excursion, primarily utilizing a major parkway. You'll find this route convenient if you're looking for an uncomplicated drive between these two New Jersey locations.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 39.3 mi | 51m |
| Garden State Parkway Southbound | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| Newman Springs Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| NJ 19 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Seven Bridges Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Rumson Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Pinckney Road | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Myrtle Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Oceanport, NJ.
Start on Colt Street
Turn right onto Ellison Street
Turn right onto Memorial Drive
Turn right
Turn straight onto Ward Street
Continue on NJ 19
Turn slight left onto NJ 19
Take the exit
Merge onto GSP
Continue on Garden State Parkway
Keep slight left at fork onto GSP
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP
Take the exit
Turn left onto CR 520
Continue on CR 520
Turn left onto NJ 35; CR 520
Turn right onto CR 520
Continue on CR 520; CR 11
Turn left onto CR 520
Turn right onto CR 33
Continue on CR 33
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 27.6 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 48.9 — 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 right onto Memorial Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward GSP South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CR 520: Red Bank, Lincroft
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$9.76 one way
$19.52 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $10.69 | $21.38 |
| premium | $5.24 | $11.40 | $22.79 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $11.63 | $23.25 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.73
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Tolls
$3
Total
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.80 | $2.65 |
| Efficient EV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.83 | $2.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.1 | 0 | $7.73 | $3.53 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
5:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Evening in Oceanport on Wednesday
Local time
5:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Mostly Clear
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 is a highway-focused drive, with 86% of the journey on major roads. You'll experience a significant stretch of 39.3 miles on the Garden State Parkway Southbound without interruption. The character of the drive is largely defined by this consistent highway travel. Expect a steady pace for the majority of your trip, transitioning onto Newman Springs Road as you near your destination.
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 early in the drive near Ellison Street.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.2 miles you will encounter 15 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 (Memorial Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
312 ft
Total Descent
388 ft
Highest Point
236 ft
~43.4 mi in
Elevation Range
228 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Paterson, NJ and Oceanport, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp South, Cr 520: Red Bank and Lincroft.
Gsp South
Cr 520: Red Bank
Lincroft
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Restaurant
Around the midpoint, short detour
Staten Island
Cuisine: italian
Visit websitePark
Early in the drive, right off the route
Park
Early in the drive, right off the route
Attraction
Later in the drive, right off the route
NJ
Park
Early in the drive, right off the route
Park
Near the end, right off the route
Park
Near the start, right off the route
Place_of_worship
Near the start, short detour
Museum
Near the end, short detour
NJ
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
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
Founded 1920
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 55.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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