Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
57.1 mi
92 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
West Long Branch, NJ
Malcolm Garret
Paterson to West Long Branch is 57.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 17 minutes via Garden State Parkway Southbound, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive that's predominantly highway, making it a quick option for getting between these two points. Consider this route if you need an efficient way to cover this distance without much fuss.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 42.9 mi | 55m |
| Garden State Parkway Southbound | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| NJ 36 | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| NJ 19 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Parker Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Ward Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Monmouth Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Oliver Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and West Long Branch, 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
Merge onto GSP
Take the exit
Continue on NJ 36
Take the exit
Turn slight right onto NJ 71
Turn left onto Parker Road
Turn right onto CR 15
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 28.5 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 52.7 — 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
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Express Roadway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NJ 36 North: Eatontown, Long Branch
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$10.10 one way
$20.20 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $11.06 | $22.12 |
| premium | $5.24 | $11.79 | $23.58 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $12.03 | $24.05 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.94
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
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 20 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.1 | 0 | $6.00 | $2.74 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.00 | $2.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.8 | 0 | $7.99 | $3.65 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Paterson on Wednesday
Local time
6:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Evening in West Long Branch on Wednesday
Local time
6:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Cloudy
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.
You'll spend about 94% of this 57.1-mile drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch on this route is 42.9 miles, which will be on the Garden State Parkway Southbound. Expect this to feel like a highway cruise for the majority of the trip. The transition to surface streets, specifically NJ 36, will happen 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 57.1 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: 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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
321 ft
Total Descent
381 ft
Highest Point
226 ft
~44.9 mi in
Elevation Range
216 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Paterson, NJ and West Long Branch, NJ, road signs point toward Express Roadway and Long Branch.
Express Roadway
Long Branch
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
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 57.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). 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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