Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 24, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 22m
Distance
61.2 mi
98 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
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
Shark River Hills, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Paterson to Shark River Hills is 61.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 22 minutes via the Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This route stays within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. It's a straightforward drive, largely on a major parkway, making it a practical choice for getting between these two points efficiently. Consider this trip if you need to cover ground quickly within the state without much complication.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 42.7 mi | 55m |
| Garden State Parkway Southbound | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| NJ 18 | 6.2 mi | 6m |
| NJ 19 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Brighton Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Lakewood Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Wayside Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Ward Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Shark River Hills, 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
Keep slight right at fork
Turn left onto CR 38
Take the ramp
Merge onto NJ 18
Take the exit
Merge onto NJ 33
Turn right
Continue on Brighton Avenue
Turn left onto Lakewood Road
Turn right onto Forest Drive
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 30.6 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 0.2 and 59.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
Take the exit toward NJ 36 North, NJ 18: Eatontown, Long Branch, Tinton Falls
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 18 JCT: Tinton Falls
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NJ 33 East: Neptune
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$10.69 one way
$21.38 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.86 | $11.70 | $23.41 |
| premium | $5.20 | $12.52 | $25.04 |
| diesel | $6.28 | $15.12 | $30.24 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.93
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Tolls
$3
Total
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.4 | 0 | $6.43 | $2.94 |
| Efficient EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.36 | $2.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.5 | 0 | $8.57 | $3.92 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Paterson on Saturday
Local time
1:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Shark River Hills on Saturday
Local time
1:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°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 drive is primarily highway, with 93% of the 61.2 miles spent on main roads like the Garden State Parkway Southbound and NJ 18. You'll experience a continuous stretch of 42.7 miles on the Garden State Parkway, indicating a significant period of highway cruising. Expect dense exit activity as you navigate this section of the parkway before transitioning to surface roads closer to 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 around 0.2 miles in near Memorial Drive.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.2 miles you will encounter 19 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 52.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
404 ft
Total Descent
433 ft
Highest Point
194 ft
~43.7 mi in
Elevation Range
152 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Paterson, NJ and Shark River Hills, NJ, road signs point toward Long Branch, Tinton Falls and Gsp South.
Long Branch
Tinton Falls
Gsp South
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Near the start, short detour
Verona, NJ
Cuisine: bagel
Hours: Mo-Fr 05:30-14:00; Sa-Su 06:00-14:00
Cafe
Later in the drive, short detour
Red Bank, NJ
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteRestaurant
Early in the drive, right off the route
Restaurant
Early in the drive, right off the route
Fast_food
Early in the drive, short detour
Union, NJ
Cuisine: donut;coffee_shop
Hours: 05:00-20:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Early in the drive, short detour
Restaurant
Around the midpoint, short detour
Cuisine: tex-mex;cajun
Visit websiteRestaurant
Early in the drive, short detour
Park
Near the start, right off the route
Park
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Park
Near the start, right off the route
Park
Early in the drive, right off the route
Park
Near the start, right off the route
Park
Near the end, right off the route
District
Near the end, right off the route
Place_of_worship
Near the start, short detour
Museum
Later in the drive, short detour
NJ
Hotel
Later in the drive, short detour
Red Bank, 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
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 61.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). 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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