Origin
Shark River Hills, NJ
Afternoon in Shark River Hills on Sunday
Local time
12:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shark River Hills, NJ to Clifton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 20m
Distance
58.5 mi
94 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shark River Hills, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 59.1-mile drive from Shark River Hills, NJ, to Clifton, NJ, is designed as a single-day trip, estimated to take around 1 hour and 8 minutes. You'll navigate using Lakewood Road and Brighton Avenue, eventually merging onto NJ 18 North. With a projected fuel cost of about $10, this route is budget-friendly. The journey is characterized by frequent turns rather than long stretches on highways, making it a local drive experience. Since it's a relatively short trip, you'll have plenty of flexibility to depart when it suits you best.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 48.4 mi | 1h 2m |
| NJ 18 | 2.6 mi | 2m |
| Asbury Avenue | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Passaic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Passaic Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Lakewood Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 48.4 mi, about 1h 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shark River Hills, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on Forest Drive
26 ft
·
6 sec
·
Forest Drive
2
Turn left onto Lakewood Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Lakewood Road
3
At end of road, turn left onto Brighton Avenue
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Brighton Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: Eatontown
5
Merge onto NJ 18
2.6 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 18
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 10B
Toward NJ 66 West: Freehold
Use the right lane.
7
Continue on NJ 66; CR 16
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Asbury Avenue
8
Continue on CR 16
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Asbury Avenue
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
10
Merge onto GSP
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
Garden State Parkway
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
31 sec
12
Continue on GSP
48 mi
·
1 hr 2 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
15
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
16
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
17
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
18
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Enter roundabout onto CR 602
261 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allwood Road
20
Continue on CR 602
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Allwood Road
21
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
22
Turn right onto Olga B Terrace
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
23
Turn right onto Hutton Road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hutton Road
24
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
441 ft
·
25 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
25
Turn left onto Donna Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Donna Drive
26
Turn right onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
27
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.3 miles from Shark River Hills, 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 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 58.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward NJ 18 North: Eatontown
Navigation decision point
Toward NJ 18 North: Eatontown
7
3.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward NJ 66 West: Freehold
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 10B
Toward NJ 66 West: Freehold
8
54.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
Take the exit toward Montclair, Nutley
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 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
5
56.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Turn left onto CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
58.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
|
Hutton Road
Turn right onto Hutton Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.70 one way
$19.40 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $10.62 | $21.24 |
| premium | $4.93 | $11.35 | $22.69 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.92 | $25.83 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.90
Garden State Parkway
(48.4 mi)
$2.90
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Tolls
$3
Total
$13
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.14 | $2.81 |
| Efficient EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.12 | $2.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.4 | 0 | $8.19 | $3.74 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Clifton, NJ
Afternoon in Clifton on Sunday
Local time
12:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
24 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 20m 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 59.1-mile journey between Shark River Hills and Clifton. With a 0% highway share, you'll be spending your entire time on local roads, primarily utilizing Lakewood Road, Brighton Avenue, and NJ 18 North. The route involves numerous directional changes, keeping you engaged behind the wheel. There isn't a significant 'longest stretch' to speak of, as the nature of the drive is consistent with frequent intersections and turns throughout its 1 hour and 8 minute duration.
87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 48.4 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 NJ 18. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.5 miles you will encounter 19 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 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 54.9 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 Shark River Hills, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Montclair and Nutley.
Gsp Toll North
5.8 mi in
|
~8m
Montclair
54.9 mi in
|
~1h 12m
Nutley
54.9 mi in
|
~1h 12m
About the Cities
Arriving in Clifton, NJ
Full guide →Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey.
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 1h 20m. Total distance: 58.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 48.4 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.90 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 Clifton, 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 0.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 54.9 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, Paterson Great Falls 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 Clifton, 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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