Origin
Rockaway, NJ
Afternoon in Rockaway on Sunday
Local time
12:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockaway, NJ to Jersey City, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
29.5 mi
48 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 44m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockaway, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rockaway, NJ to Jersey City, NJ is 29.5 miles and takes about 41 minutes via Essex Freeway, Christopher Columbus Highway, and Lincoln Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive entirely within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region towards a more urban setting. Given the brief travel time and modest fuel cost, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, offering a simple transition between two points in the state. You'll primarily be on major roadways, making it a practical choice for getting from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 13.5 mi | 17m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 7.9 mi | 9m |
| Lincoln Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Ferry Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Market Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| McCarter Highway | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Raymond Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| US 1 Truck | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 13.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockaway, NJ and Jersey City, NJ.
1
Start on this road
46 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto CR 513
137 ft
·
7 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Turn left onto CR 513
337 ft
·
5 sec
·
Wall Street
4
Turn right onto CR 513
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Church Street
5
Continue on CR 513
491 ft
·
10 sec
·
Halsey Avenue
6
Continue on CR 513
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Hibernia Avenue
7
Keep slight right at fork onto Hibernia Avenue
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Hibernia Avenue
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 80 East
9
Merge onto I 80
7.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 47A
Toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
11
Continue on I 280
14 mi
·
17 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 15
Toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Center
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn right onto McCarter Highway
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
McCarter Highway
Use the left / right lanes.
14
Turn left onto Raymond Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Raymond Boulevard
Use the left lane.
15
Turn straight onto Market Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Market Street
Use the straight lane.
16
Continue on Ferry Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Ferry Street
17
Continue on Raymond Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Raymond Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
18
Continue on US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Lincoln Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto Duncan Avenue
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Duncan Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Turn left onto Olean Avenue
316 ft
·
13 sec
·
Olean Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Olean Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 28.4 — 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
|
CR 513 / West Main Street
Turn left onto CR 513 / West Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 47A
Toward I 280 East: The Oranges, Newark
8
23.2 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 15
Toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Ce...
6
23.4 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
McCarter Highway
Turn right onto McCarter Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
7
28.4 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck
Take the exit onto US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward US 1 Truck North, US 9 Truck North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.89 one way
$9.78 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.36 | $10.71 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.72 | $11.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.51 | $13.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Jersey City, NJ
Afternoon in Jersey City on Sunday
Local time
12:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
7 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
41m 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?
This route offers a mixed driving experience, with 48% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on the Essex Freeway, Christopher Columbus Highway, and Lincoln Highway, providing a mix of faster-paced travel and potentially more varied road conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 13.5 miles on the Essex Freeway, allowing for a period of consistent progress. As you approach Jersey City, expect the drive to become more urbanized, with increased traffic and more frequent intersections.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.5 mi on Essex Freeway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 513 / West Main Street.
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 13 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 41m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 513 / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Rockaway, NJ and Jersey City, NJ, road signs point toward Newark, Belleville and Prudential Center.
Newark
9 mi in
|
~11m
Belleville
23.2 mi in
|
~29m
Prudential Center
23.2 mi in
|
~29m
About the Cities
Arriving in Jersey City, NJ
Full guide →Jersey City is New Jersey's second-largest city. Jersey City sits in Hudson County in the northeastern section of the state, across the Hudson from its older and bigger cousin, New York City, and south of Hoboken. It is frequently referred to as New York’s “sixth borough”. Until the early 1600s, the area was inhabited by Lenape Indians. The Dutch then settled here as a part of the colony of New Amsterdam. It evolved into an industrial powerhouse, with railroads winding up and down the city (some of these lines are still used today). Although Jersey City declined in the 1960s, an upswing began in the 1980s, and the city was transformed into what it is today.
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 41m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.5 miles on Essex Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Jersey City, 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 (CR 513 / West Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (5 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 Jersey City, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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