Paterson to Strathmore is 42.5 miles and takes about 59 minutes 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, traversing the Northeast region. It's a straightforward, highway-focused drive, making it an ideal option for a quick, single-day excursion. You'll spend most of your time on the Garden State Parkway, so expect a consistent driving experience from start to finish. This route is best suited for those prioritizing efficiency and speed to reach their destination.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Garden State Parkway
30.9 mi
41m
Garden State Parkway Southbound
6.2 mi
8m
NJ 19
2 mi
2m
Lloyd Road
1.3 mi
2m
Ward Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Idolstone Lane
0.3 mi
<1m
Oliver Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Ellison Street
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 30.9 mi, about 41m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Strathmore, 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
6.3 mi·7 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·48 sec
Exit 118Toward AberdeenUse the slight right lane.
14
Turn right onto CR 3
1.3 mi·2 min·Lloyd Road
15
Turn left onto Ivy Hill Drive
0.1 mi·24 sec·Ivy Hill Drive
16
Turn right onto Idolstone Lane
0.3 mi·59 sec·Idolstone Lane
17
Turn left onto Idlebrook Lane
385 ft·16 sec·Idlebrook Lane
18
Arrive at destination
Idlebrook Lane
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 21.3 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 and 40.4 — 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
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.
7
40.4 mi into trip|~54m in
Take the exit toward Aberdeen
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 118
Toward Aberdeen
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.78 one way
$13.55 round trip
$4.05/gal25.4 MPG avg15 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$7.50
$15.00
premium
$4.81
$8.04
$16.09
diesel
$4.80
$8.02
$16.05
Estimated Tolls: $2.22
Garden State Parkway
(37.1 mi)$2.22
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
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.8
0
$4.46
$2.04
Efficient EV
10.6
0
$3.72
$1.70
EV Truck/SUV
17
0
$5.95
$2.72
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 Jul 18, 2026
Origin
Paterson, NJ
Morning
in Paterson on Sunday
Local time
11:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Areas Of Smoke
S 10 mph93% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 18 at 11:53AM EDT until July 18 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 18 at 2:27AM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Destination
Strathmore, NJ
Morning
in Strathmore on Sunday
Local time
11:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Smoke
S 5 to 15 mph96% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued July 18 at 11:53AM EDT until July 18 at 2:00PM EDT by NWS Upton NY
Flood Watch
Flood Watch issued July 18 at 2:27AM EDT until July 19 at 2:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY
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
59m 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 predominantly highway-focused, with 92% of the journey taking place on major roads like the Garden State Parkway. You'll experience a long, uninterrupted stretch of 30.9 miles on the Garden State Parkway, offering a smooth and consistent pace. While NJ 19 is part of the route, the bulk of your time will be spent on the parkway, which generally provides a predictable driving environment. Expect a smooth ride for the majority of the 42.5 miles, with minimal deviations from high-speed travel.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.9 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 early in the drive near Ellison Street.
Driving Effort8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 42.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.
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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
178 ft26 ft
Total Climb
321 ft
Total Descent
274 ft
Highest Point
178 ft
~3 mi in
Elevation Range
152 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Paterson, NJ to Strathmore, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Gsp South along the way.
Gsp South
2.8 mi in|~4m
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
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 59m. Total distance: 42.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30.9 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.22 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 Strathmore, 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 (Memorial Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Strathmore, NJ before heading back.
