Origin
Trenton, NJ
Morning in Trenton on Saturday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Trenton, NJ to Dover Beaches South, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 12m
Distance
48.6 mi
78 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 7m
★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Trenton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Dover Beaches South, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Trenton, NJ to Dover Beaches South, NJ is 48.6 miles and takes about 1h 12m via Central Jersey Expressway and Route 37 East, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within New Jersey, making it a straightforward trip between two points in the Northeast region. You'll encounter a mix of highway and surface roads, so expect some variation in pace. It's a short enough drive that you can easily depart whenever it suits your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Central Jersey Expressway | 19 mi | 21m |
| Route 37 East | 4.8 mi | 7m |
| Lakewood Road | 4.8 mi | 7m |
| Whitesville Road | 4.3 mi | 7m |
| East Veterans Highway | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Cedar Swamp Road | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Arena Drive | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Thomas A. Mathis Bridge | 1.6 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Central Jersey Expressway
— 19 mi, about 21m
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
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
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 Dover Beaches South, 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 Points
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Merge onto I 195
19 mi
·
21 min
·
Central Jersey Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Exit 21
Toward CR 526, CR 527: Siloam, Jackson
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward CR 527 South: Jackson
Use the left / right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto CR 527
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Cedar Swamp Road
12
Continue on CR 527; CR 528
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
East Veterans Highway
13
Turn right onto CR 527
4.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Whitesville Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn left onto CR 622
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Cox Cro Road
15
Turn right onto US 9
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Lakewood Road
16
Continue on NJ 166
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Lakewood Road
17
Turn left onto NJ 37
4.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Route 37 East
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Continue on NJ 37
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Thomas A. Mathis Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward NJ 35 North: Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant
20
Merge onto NJ 35
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 35
21
Turn left onto 6th Avenue
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
6th Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
6th Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.3 miles from Trenton, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 4 and 46.7 — 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
8
23.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward CR 526, CR 527: Siloam, Jackson
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 21
Toward CR 526, CR 527: Siloam, Jackson
8
23.5 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight right at fork toward CR 527 South: Jackson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward CR 527 South: Jackson
6
30.2 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
CR 527 / Whitesville Road
Turn right onto CR 527 / Whitesville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
46.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 35 North: Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NJ 35 North: Seaside Heights, Point Plea...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.35 one way
$16.70 round trip
$4.37/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $9.17 | $18.33 |
| premium | $5.13 | $9.81 | $19.62 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $11.42 | $22.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
| Efficient EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.80 | $3.11 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Dover Beaches South, NJ
Morning in Dover Beaches South on Saturday
Local time
6:56 AM
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
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
1h 12m 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?
About 52% of this drive is on highways. You'll spend the longest stretch, 19 miles, on the Central Jersey Expressway. After that, the route transitions to surface roads like Route 37 East and Lakewood Road. Be prepared for a change in traffic patterns as you move from highway speeds to surface street conditions.
52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19 mi on Central Jersey Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.6 miles you will encounter 15 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 4 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
172 ft
-1 ft
Total Climb
129 ft
Total Descent
186 ft
Highest Point
172 ft
~17.4 mi in
Elevation Range
173 ft
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 Trenton, NJ and Dover Beaches South, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp: Shore Points, Cr 526, Cr 527: Siloam, Jackson and Cr 527 South: Jackson.
Njtp: Shore Points
4 mi in
|
~7m
Cr 526
23.3 mi in
|
~30m
Cr 527: Siloam
23.3 mi in
|
~30m
Jackson
23.3 mi in
|
~30m
Cr 527 South: Jackson
23.5 mi in
|
~30m
About the Cities
Starting in Trenton, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1719
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...
Arriving in Dover Beaches South, NJ
Full guide →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 12m. Total distance: 48.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19 miles on Central Jersey Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 2 rest areas or service plazas 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 Dover Beaches South, 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 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dover Beaches South, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Dover Beaches South, NJ
Explore more options from Trenton, NJ or browse trips ending in Dover Beaches South, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.