Origin
Strathmore, NJ
Morning in Strathmore on Sunday
Local time
6:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Strathmore, 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
55m
Distance
38 mi
61 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Strathmore, NJ
Alexa V. Mato
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Strathmore to Union City is 38 miles and takes about 55 minutes via the New Jersey Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, mostly highway drive that keeps you within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey. Given its short duration and focus on major roadways, this trip is ideal for a quick transit or a day trip where you want to get from point A to point B efficiently. You'll spend most of your time on the Turnpike, so expect typical highway conditions for this busy corridor.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 14 mi | 17m |
| Garden State Parkway | 10.6 mi | 13m |
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| Lloyd Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Clark Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Idolstone Lane | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 14 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Strathmore, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on Idlebrook Lane
385 ft
·
18 sec
·
Idlebrook Lane
2
Turn right onto Idolstone Lane
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Idolstone Lane
3
At end of road, turn left onto Ivy Hill Drive
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Ivy Hill Drive
4
Turn right onto CR 3
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Lloyd Road
5
Turn right onto Clark Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Clark Street
6
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
Toward Local, All Exits
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto GSP
11 mi
·
13 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19 miles from Strathmore, 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 185 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 35.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Ivy Hill Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Ivy Hill Drive
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
9
2.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Local, All Exits
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Local, All Exits
8
13.3 mi into trip
|
~19m 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
14.4 mi into trip
|
~21m 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
7
35.1 mi into trip
|
~49m 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
$6.30 one way
$12.60 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.90 | $13.80 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.37 | $14.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.39 | $16.78 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.47
New Jersey Turnpike
(20.2 mi)
$2.83
Garden State Parkway
(10.6 mi)
$0.64
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$3
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.99 | $1.82 |
| Efficient EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.32 | $2.43 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 City, NJ
Morning in Union City on Sunday
Local time
6:19 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
23 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
55m 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 is heavily focused on highway travel, with 82% of the drive utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a highway-focused drive for the majority of your journey, including a significant stretch of 14 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike without interruption. The New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and the New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur will be your primary companions. Expect consistent speeds and the typical environment of a busy interstate system as you navigate between these two New Jersey locations.
82% 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 Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near Ivy Hill Drive.
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 38 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Ivy Hill Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.3 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 Strathmore, NJ and Union City, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Local, All Exits, Njtp: New York City, Trenton and Njtp North: New York City.
Gsp Toll North
2.3 mi in
|
~5m
Local
2.5 mi in
|
~5m
All Exits
2.5 mi in
|
~5m
Njtp: New York City
13.3 mi in
|
~19m
Trenton
13.3 mi in
|
~19m
Njtp North: New York City
14.3 mi in
|
~21m
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 55m. Total distance: 38 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). 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 $3.47 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 0.4 miles (Ivy Hill Drive): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 2.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.3 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 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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