Trenton, NJ to Allentown, NJ is 11.8 miles and takes about 17 minutes via Central Jersey Expressway and other roads, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within New Jersey, moving between the Northeast region's suburban and urban-adjacent areas. It's a straightforward connection perfect for a quick errand or a brief scenic detour. Given its short distance, you can easily fit this drive into a larger travel plan or complete it without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Central Jersey Expressway
6.6 mi
7m
Arena Drive
1.8 mi
3m
South Olden Avenue
1.2 mi
2m
North Main Street
0.8 mi
1m
Hamilton Avenue
0.6 mi
1m
Hempstead Road
0.3 mi
<1m
South Broad Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Waker Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Central Jersey Expressway
— 6.6 mi, about 7m
Traffic on I-195
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,786 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,356
Quietest
2 AM
~125 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
22.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 96 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Trenton, NJ and Allentown, NJ.
1
Start on CR 626
6 ft·6 sec·Chambers Street
2
Turn left onto CR 606
0.6 mi·1 min·Hamilton Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 622
1.2 mi·2 min·South Olden Avenue
4
Keep slight right at fork onto CR 620
1.8 mi·3 min·Arena Drive
5
Turn right onto Hempstead Road
0.3 mi·45 sec·Hempstead Road
6
Turn straight onto CR 524
286 ft·4 sec·South Broad Street
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·31 sec
Toward I 195 East, NJTP: Shore PointsUse the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Merge onto I 195
6.6 mi·7 min·Central Jersey Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi·21 sec
Exit 8Toward CR 539: Hightstown, AllentownUse the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
282 ft·8 sec
Toward AllentownUse the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto CR 524; CR 539
0.8 mi·1 min·North Main Street
12
Turn sharp left onto CR 526
147 ft·3 sec·Waker Street
13
Turn left onto Maiden Lane
21 ft·0 sec·Maiden Lane
14
Arrive at destination
Maiden Lane
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 4 and 11.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
4 mi into trip|~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 195 East, NJTP: Shore Points
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 195 East, NJTP: Shore Points
5
4.2 mi into trip|~8m in|I 195 / Central Jersey Expressway
Merge onto I 195 / Central Jersey Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
10.8 mi into trip|~15m in
Take the exit toward CR 539: Hightstown, Allentown
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 8
Toward CR 539: Hightstown, Allentown
8
10.9 mi into trip|~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Allentown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Allentown
5
11.7 mi into trip|~17m in|CR 526 / Waker Street
Turn sharp left onto CR 526 / Waker Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.97 one way
$3.94 round trip
$4.24/gal25.4 MPG avg4 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.67
$2.17
$4.34
premium
$5.01
$2.33
$4.66
diesel
$5.60
$2.60
$5.20
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging
· 0 stops
· 75% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
3.5
0
$1.24
$0.57
Efficient EV
3
0
$1.03
$0.47
EV Truck/SUV
4.7
0
$1.65
$0.76
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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 Sep 2, 2026
Origin
Trenton, NJ
Late night
in Trenton on Wednesday
Local time
2:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy
NE 0 to 5 mph50% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued September 1 at 9:19PM EDT until September 2 at 1:15AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Tornado Warning
Tornado Warning issued September 1 at 9:18PM EDT until September 1 at 9:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Destination
Allentown, NJ
Late night
in Allentown on Wednesday
Local time
2:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy
NE 0 to 5 mph55% chanceLive forecast
Flash Flood Warning
Flash Flood Warning issued September 1 at 9:19PM EDT until September 2 at 1:15AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
Tornado Warning
Tornado Warning issued September 1 at 9:18PM EDT until September 1 at 9:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
17m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a mixed highway and surface road profile, with 56% of the drive on highways. You'll experience a longest stretch of 6.6 miles on the Central Jersey Expressway. Expect to transition from highway cruising to surface streets as you approach your destination. The highway portion offers a sense of steady progress, while the surface roads will likely involve more local traffic and intersections.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.6 mi on Central Jersey Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4 miles in.
Driving Effort7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 11.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.2 miles (I 195 / Central Jersey Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
129 ft46 ft
Total Climb
156 ft
Total Descent
134 ft
Highest Point
129 ft
~9.2 mi in
Elevation Range
83 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Trenton, NJ and Allentown, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp: Shore Points and Cr 539: Hightstown.
Trenton is in Mercer County, and is the capital of New Jersey. The city's strategic location in between New York City and Philadelphia has historically contributed to its growth and significantly impacts local culture. Located on the Delaware River across from Pennsylvania, Trenton is the only accessible capital city in the United States to border another state.
Top landmarks
•New Jersey State House — state capitol building of the U.S. state of New Jersey
•First Presbyterian Church — church in Trenton, New Jersey
•Calhoun Street Bridge — bridge over the Delaware River between Morrisville, Pennsylvania and Trenton, Ne...
Allentown is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Allentown's shopping district has antique and specialty shops, as well as restaurants. Many historic homes and historic buildings are located in the borough.
Top landmarks
•Allentown Mill — historic mill in Allentown, New Jersey
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 11.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.6 miles on Central Jersey Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Allentown, 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 4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.2 miles (I 195 / Central Jersey Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 10.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Allentown, NJ before heading back.
