Origin
Rahway, NJ
Afternoon in Rahway on Sunday
Local time
4:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rahway, NJ to Paterson, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
24.8 mi
40 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rahway, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 24.8-mile drive from Rahway, NJ to Paterson, NJ is a quick trip, typically taking around 38 minutes. With 80% of the journey on highways, it's a straightforward route designed for efficiency. You'll primarily be on the Garden State Parkway and NJ 19, making it an easy day trip with a modest fuel cost of about $4. This is a practical option for getting between these two points in the Northeast region without much fuss. Given its short distance, it’s easily manageable in a single day, requiring no overnight stays.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 18.1 mi | 25m |
| NJ 19 | 1.7 mi | 1m |
| Saint Georges Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Stiles Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| West Grand Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| North Stiles Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Irving Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 18.1 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rahway, NJ and Paterson, NJ.
1
Start on Elm Avenue
453 ft
·
25 sec
·
Elm Avenue
2
Turn left onto Irving Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Irving Street
3
Turn left onto CR 613
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Grand Avenue
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn right onto NJ 27
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Saint Georges Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn left onto CR 615
0.5 mi
·
48 sec
·
North Stiles Street
6
Turn right onto CR 615
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Stiles Street
Use the right lane.
7
Continue on CR 615
367 ft
·
9 sec
·
Centennial Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto GSP
18 mi
·
25 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 155A
Toward NJ 19: Paterson
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11
Merge onto NJ 19
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 19
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
313 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
Toward Grand Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto CR 638
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Grand Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto CR 509
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn right onto CR 648
453 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
17
Turn left onto Colt Street
42 ft
·
3 sec
·
Colt Street
18
Arrive at destination
Colt Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 24.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NJ 27 / Saint Georges Avenue
Turn right onto NJ 27 / Saint Georges Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
3.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward GSP Toll North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward GSP Toll North
7
21.7 mi into trip
|
~33m 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
24.1 mi into trip
|
~36m 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
24.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
CR 638 / Grand Street
Turn right onto CR 638 / Grand Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.11 one way
$8.22 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.50 | $9.01 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.81 | $9.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.48 | $10.95 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.09
Garden State Parkway
(18.1 mi)
$1.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.17 | $0.99 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.47 | $1.59 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Paterson, NJ
Afternoon in Paterson on Sunday
Local time
4:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
14 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
38m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this drive, with 80% of the route utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.1 miles on the Garden State Parkway. While primarily highway, you will also navigate sections of Saint Georges Avenue, offering a slight change of pace. This route prioritizes getting you to your destination efficiently, blending the speed of parkways with some surface street navigation.
80% 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: 18.1 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 NJ 19. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near NJ 27 / Saint Georges Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 24.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (NJ 27 / Saint Georges Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Rahway, NJ to Paterson, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Gsp Toll North along the way.
Gsp Toll North
3.3 mi in
|
~7m
About the Cities
Starting in Rahway, NJ
Full guide →Rahway is in Union County.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 24.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.1 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.09 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 0.9 miles (NJ 27 / Saint Georges Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Paterson, NJ before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Paterson, NJ
More from Rahway, NJ
More trips to Paterson, NJ
Explore more options from Rahway, NJ or browse trips ending in Paterson, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.