This 79.9-mile drive from Pine Beach to Paterson, New Jersey, is a straightforward, highway-focused journey that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 44 minutes. Given its relatively short duration and low fuel cost of an estimated $13, it's an ideal candidate for a single-day trip without the need for an overnight stay. The route primarily utilizes the Garden State Parkway, offering a consistent driving experience. You'll be staying within the Northeast region for the entire trip, so no significant regional changes are expected. This drive is all about efficiency, getting you from point A to point B with minimal fuss.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
39.9 miles from Pine Beach, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 51m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Garden State Parkway
72.7 mi
1h 32m
NJ 19
1.7 mi
1m
North Main Street
0.8 mi
1m
Atlantic City Boulevard
0.7 mi
1m
Springfield Avenue
0.4 mi
<1m
Bayside Avenue
0.4 mi
<1m
Compass Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Main Street
0.3 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 72.7 mi, about 1h 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pine Beach, NJ and Paterson, NJ.
1
Start on CR 617
0.4 mi·47 sec·Springfield Avenue
2
Continue on CR 617
0.4 mi·37 sec·Bayside Avenue
3
Continue on CR 617
0.1 mi·13 sec·Club House Road
4
Continue on CR 617
501 ft·10 sec·Club House Drive
5
Continue on CR 617
0.3 mi·44 sec·Compass Avenue
6
Turn left onto CR 617
0.2 mi·29 sec·Starboard Street
7
At end of road, turn right onto NJ 166
0.5 mi·1 min·Atlantic City Boulevard
8
Keep slight right at fork onto NJ 166
0.2 mi·19 sec·Atlantic City Boulevard
9
Continue on NJ 166
0.8 mi·1 min·North Main Street
10
Turn left onto NJ 37
0.1 mi·21 sec·Route 37 West
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi·47 sec
Toward US 9 Toll North, GSP Toll North: Lakewood, New York, Woodbridge
12
Merge onto GSP; US 9
21 mi·24 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi·31 sec
14
Continue on GSP
52 mi·1 hr 7 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.7 mi·1 min
Exit 155AToward NJ 19: PatersonUse the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Merge onto NJ 19
1.7 mi·1 min·NJ 19
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
313 ft·7 sec
Toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
18
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·23 sec
Toward Grand StreetUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
19
Turn right onto CR 638
0.2 mi·27 sec·Grand Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Turn left onto CR 509
0.3 mi·29 sec·Main Street
Use the straight lane.
21
Turn right onto CR 648
453 ft·15 sec·Market Street
22
Turn left onto Colt Street
42 ft·3 sec·Colt Street
23
Arrive at destination
Colt Street
Trip Plan
For this efficient 1 hour and 44-minute drive, starting your trip in the morning, perhaps before the peak commuter rush, is a good strategy. Since the route is only 79.9 miles and largely highway-based, you won't need extensive stops, but planning for a quick fuel top-up or a restroom break is always wise. The longest uninterrupted stretch is over 72 miles on the Garden State Parkway, so be sure to take advantage of any available service areas if needed. With a fuel cost estimated at just $13, budget concerns are minimal, allowing you flexibility in your departure time.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 39.9 miles from Pine Beach, NJ, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 72.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 18 miles or 23m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 39.9 miles or 51m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 27m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Paterson, NJ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Pine Beach, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Pine Beach, NJ
This is one driving day of about 79.9 miles and 1h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 18 miles from Pine Beach, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Garden State Parkway for about 72.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 14
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.3 and 79.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.3 mi into trip|~2m in|CR 617 / Starboard Street
Turn left onto CR 617 / Starboard Street
Navigation decision point
7
76.8 mi into trip|~1h 39m in
Take the exit toward NJ 19: Paterson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Exit 155A
Toward NJ 19: Paterson
8
79.2 mi into trip|~1h 42m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Grand Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Grand Street
7
79.3 mi into trip|~1h 43m in|CR 638 / Grand Street
Turn right onto CR 638 / Grand Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
79.5 mi into trip|~1h 43m in|CR 509 / Main Street
Turn left onto CR 509 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.25 one way
$26.49 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg28 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$14.51
$29.02
premium
$4.93
$15.50
$30.99
diesel
$5.61
$17.64
$35.28
Estimated Tolls: $4.36
Garden State Parkway
(72.7 mi)$4.36
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Tolls
$4
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$43–$68
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
24
0
$8.39
$3.84
Efficient EV
20
0
$6.99
$3.20
EV Truck/SUV
32
0
$11.19
$5.11
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Pine Beach, NJ
Afternoon
in Pine Beach on Sunday
Local time
4:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Paterson, NJ
Afternoon
in Paterson on Sunday
Local time
4:23 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
16 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 44m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 17...
0 mi from route
~1 min detour
Free
near mile 79.9
Caution: Limited Amphitheater Accessibility
Caution: Overlook Park Parking Lot - Vehicles Must Be Parked in a Designated Spot
Today, the brick buildings on Main Street in West Orange, NJ seem quiet, betraying little evidence of the research, development, and innovation of their heyday. Visitors can step back in time to Thoma...
Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winte...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
Free
near mile 60.6
Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for...
18 mi from route
~45 min detour
Free
near mile 35.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a heavily highway-oriented experience on this route, with 93% of the drive taking place on major roadways. The majority of your time will be spent on the Garden State Parkway, featuring a substantial uninterrupted stretch of 72.7 miles. This means you'll encounter consistent speeds and limited local road complexities for most of the journey. As you approach your destination, you'll transition to NJ 19 and then North Main Street, introducing a more urban feel and potentially more varied traffic conditions as you enter Paterson.
93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 72.7 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and NJ 19. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.3 miles in near CR 617 / Starboard Street.
Driving Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 79.9 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 1.3 miles (CR 617 / Starboard Street): Navigation decision point; at 76.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 79.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 44m. Total distance: 79.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (93%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 72.7 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $4.36 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.
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 Paterson, 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 1.3 miles (CR 617 / Starboard Street): Navigation decision point; at 76.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 79.2 miles: 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 Paterson, NJ before heading back.
