Origin
Sayreville, NJ
Morning in Sayreville on Tuesday
Local time
8:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sayreville, NJ to Union, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
21.1 mi
34 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sayreville, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
This short 21-mile drive from Sayreville, NJ to Union, NJ will take you about 27 minutes, making it a perfect option for a single-day trip. You'll navigate primarily via Main Street and the Garden State Parkway North. With a low fuel cost estimated at just $3, this route is very budget-friendly for your travels within the Northeast region. The profile suggests a turn-heavy local drive, so be prepared for frequent adjustments rather than long, open stretches.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 13.2 mi | 18m |
| Main Street | 4.7 mi | 9m |
| Morris Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Harding Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| US 22 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Buchanan Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Vauxhall Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 13.2 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sayreville, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on Buchanan Street
61 ft
·
7 sec
·
Buchanan Street
2
Turn left onto Main Street
4.7 mi
·
9 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on this road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
this road
Toward GSP Toll North
Use the straight lane.
4
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward GSP North
Use the slight left lane.
5
Merge onto GSP
13 mi
·
18 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 140
Toward US 22, NJ 82: Hillside
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto US 22
158 ft
·
3 sec
·
US 22
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward NJ 82: Morris Avenue, Kean University, Elizabeth
9
Turn slight right onto NJ 82
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Morris Avenue
10
Turn slight right
507 ft
·
44 sec
11
Turn left onto NJ 82
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Morris Avenue
12
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Harding Avenue
13
Turn right onto CR 630
32 ft
·
4 sec
·
Vauxhall Road
14
Turn left onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
15
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 20.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Main Street
Turn left onto Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
6.2 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward GSP North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward GSP North
5
6.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
19.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward US 22, NJ 82: Hillside
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 140
Toward US 22, NJ 82: Hillside
6
20.1 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward NJ 82: Morris Avenue, Kean University, Elizabeth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NJ 82: Morris Avenue, Kean University, E...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.50 one way
$7.00 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.09 | $8.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.66 | $9.32 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.79
Garden State Parkway
(13.2 mi)
$0.79
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
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.22 | $1.01 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Union, NJ
Morning in Union on Tuesday
Local time
8:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
1 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
34m 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 turn-heavy local drive for this 21-mile journey. With a 0% highway share, you won't be cruising on interstates, but rather navigating through local streets and roads. The Garden State Parkway North will feature some limited-access highway driving, but the overall feel is more about frequent directional changes than sustained high-speed travel. There isn't a 'longest stretch' noted, implying a consistent pattern of turns and intersections throughout the 27-minute duration.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.2 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Main Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Main Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 21.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
Between Sayreville, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North and Gsp North.
Gsp Toll North
4.7 mi in
|
~9m
Gsp North
6.2 mi in
|
~12m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 21.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.2 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.79 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 Union, 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 (Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls 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 Union, 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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