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Trip from Sayreville Junction, NJ to Union 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

48m

Distance

31.4 mi

51 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Sayreville Junction, NJ, NJ

Sayreville Junction, NJ

Alexa V. Mato

city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States

Union City, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This straightforward 31.4-mile drive from Sayreville Junction to Union City, New Jersey, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 48 minutes. Primarily utilizing the New Jersey Turnpike and its Eastern Spur, along with a segment of the Garden State Parkway, this route offers a direct path through the Northeast region. With an estimated fuel cost of $5, it's an economical option for connecting these two New Jersey locales. The drive is predominantly highway-focused, making it a practical choice for efficient travel.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New Jersey Turnpike 14 mi 17m
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur 6.2 mi 8m
Garden State Parkway 4 mi 5m
Washington Road 2 mi 4m
John F. Kennedy Boulevard 0.8 mi 1m
NJ 495 0.5 mi <1m
30th Street 0.2 mi <1m
Solook Drive 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: New Jersey Turnpike — 14 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sayreville Junction, NJ and Union City, NJ.

1

Start on this road

172 ft · 8 sec · this road
2

Turn right

141 ft · 5 sec
3

Turn right onto Solook Drive

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Solook Drive
4

At end of road, turn right onto Lakeview Drive

0.1 mi · 27 sec · Lakeview Drive
5

Turn left onto CR 535

2.0 mi · 4 min · Washington Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
6

Turn left onto CR 670

223 ft · 6 sec · Main Street
Use the left lane.
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 28 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
8

Merge onto GSP

4.0 mi · 5 min · Garden State Parkway
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Exit 129 Toward I 95, NJTP: New York City, Trenton Use the slight right lane.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 16 sec
11

Continue on this road

0.5 mi · 1 min · this road
12

Continue on this road

0.1 mi · 16 sec · this road
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City
14

Merge onto I 95; NJTP

14 mi · 17 min · New Jersey Turnpike
15

Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP

6.2 mi · 8 min · New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min
Exit 16E Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Continue on NJ 495

0.5 mi · 37 sec · NJ 495
18

Take the exit

263 ft · 6 sec
Toward Kennedy Boulevard Use the slight right lane.
19

Continue on 30th Street

0.2 mi · 31 sec · 30th Street
20

Turn left onto CR 501

296 ft · 16 sec · John F Kennedy Boulevard
21

Continue on CR 501

0.8 mi · 1 min · John F. Kennedy Boulevard
22

Turn right onto 47th Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · 47th Street
23

At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue

0.1 mi · 21 sec · Bergenline Avenue
24

Turn right onto 45th Street

64 ft · 2 sec · 45th Street
25

Arrive at destination

45th Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Concord, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Concord, NY

16 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.

Pacing Suggestions

New York City, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.7 miles from Sayreville Junction, 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 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 28.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | CR 535 / Washington Road

Turn left onto CR 535 / Washington Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
8
6.7 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward I 95, NJTP: New York City, Trenton

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 129 Toward I 95, NJTP: New York City, Trenton
6
7.8 mi into trip | ~14m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 95 North, NJTP North: New York City
6
22.3 mi into trip | ~33m in | NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur

Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
28.5 mi into trip | ~41m in

Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 16E Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.21 one way

$10.41 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $5.70 $11.40
premium $4.93 $6.09 $12.18
diesel $5.61 $6.93 $13.87

Estimated Tolls: $3.07

New Jersey Turnpike (20.2 mi) $2.83
Garden State Parkway (4 mi) $0.24

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Tolls

$3

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.4 0 $3.30 $1.51
Efficient EV 7.9 0 $2.75 $1.26
EV Truck/SUV 12.6 0 $4.40 $2.01

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Sayreville Junction, NJ

Morning in Sayreville Junction on Sunday

Local time

8:27 AM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Union City, NJ

Morning in Union City on Sunday

Local time

8:27 AM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

51°F

Concord, NY

16 mi in

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

48m 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 31.4-mile journey, with 79% of the route consisting of high-speed roadways. You'll encounter the longest uninterrupted stretch at 14 miles along the New Jersey Turnpike. This section is characterized by consistent highway driving, offering a predictable pace. The roads are designed for efficient travel, with limited interruptions, allowing for a steady progression towards your destination.

79% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14 mi on New Jersey Turnpike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near CR 535 / Washington Road.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 31.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CR 535 / Washington Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.

Between Sayreville Junction, NJ and Union City, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Njtp: New York City, Trenton and Njtp North: New York City.

Gsp Toll North

2.3 mi in | ~5m

Njtp: New York City

6.7 mi in | ~12m

Trenton

6.7 mi in | ~12m

Njtp North: New York City

7.7 mi in | ~14m

About the Cities

Arriving in Union City, NJ

Full guide →

Union City is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey. Union City is a small city, roughly 1.283 square miles. It is bordered by Weehawken to the east, Jersey City to the south, North Bergen to the west and north, and West New York to the north.

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 48m. Total distance: 31.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

48m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (79%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $3.07 in tolls one way, starting with New Jersey Turnpike. 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 Union 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: at 0.3 miles (CR 535 / Washington Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area (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 Union 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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