Origin
Toms River, NJ
Afternoon in Toms River on Sunday
Local time
2:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Toms River, NJ to Neptune 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
28m
Distance
22.3 mi
36 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Toms River, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Neptune City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Toms River, NJ to Neptune City, NJ covers 22.3 miles and takes about 28m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Garden State Parkway, NJ 138, River Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.70 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 15 mi | 17m |
| NJ 138 | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| River Road | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| North Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Route 37 West | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Hillside Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 15 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Toms River, NJ and Neptune City, NJ.
1
Start on this road
78 ft
·
7 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto NJ 166
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
3
Turn left onto NJ 37
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Route 37 West
4
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
Toward US 9 Toll North, GSP Toll North: Lakewood, New York, Woodbridge
5
Merge onto GSP; US 9
15 mi
·
17 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 98
Toward NJ 138 East, I 195 West, NJ 34: Belmar, Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight right at fork
387 ft
·
9 sec
Toward NJ 138 East: Belmar
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward NJ 138 East: Belmar
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto NJ 138
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
NJ 138
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
11
Merge onto NJ 35
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
River Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Turn left onto Hillside Avenue
37 ft
·
1 sec
·
Hillside Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Hillside Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 16.7 — 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
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward US 9 Toll North, GSP Toll North: Lakewood, New York, Woodbridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 9 Toll North, GSP Toll North: Lakewoo...
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
GSP; US 9 / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP; US 9 / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
16.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward NJ 138 East, I 195 West, NJ 34: Belmar, 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 98
Toward NJ 138 East, I 195 West, NJ 34: Belmar,...
7
16.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 138 East: Belmar
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 138 East: Belmar
8
16.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 138 East: Belmar
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward NJ 138 East: Belmar
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.70 one way
$7.39 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.05 | $8.10 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.32 | $8.65 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.92 | $9.85 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.90
Garden State Parkway
(15 mi)
$0.90
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
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Neptune City, NJ
Afternoon in Neptune City on Sunday
Local time
2:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
28m 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?
22.3 mi in 28m, mostly highway — 15 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and NJ 138. 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
9/10
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 10 decision points packed into just 22.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles (GSP; US 9 / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 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.
On the drive from Toms River, NJ to Neptune City, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Trenton along the way.
Trenton
16.3 mi in
|
~20m
About the Cities
Starting in Toms River, NJ
Full guide →Toms River is the county seat of Ocean County, New Jersey. It is a few miles west of the beaches of the Jersey Shore Region, midway between New York and Philadelphia and a short distance from Atlantic City. Toms River is easy to get to by car as the Garden State Parkway bisects the town, and it is served by express bus service to and from New York City.
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 28m. Total distance: 22.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.90 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.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Neptune 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 0.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles (GSP; US 9 / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Gateway National Recreation Area. 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 Neptune 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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