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Trip from Trenton, NJ to Seaside Park, NJ

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 11m

Distance

48 mi

77 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 16m
12 PM
1h 15m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 23m
8 PM
1h 9m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Trenton, NJ, NJ

Trenton, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

borough in New Jersey, United States

Seaside Park, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Trenton, NJ to Seaside Park, NJ is 48 miles and takes about 1 hour 11 minutes via Central Jersey Expressway and Route 37 East, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region towards the coast. It's a straightforward drive that should feel familiar to anyone who has navigated New Jersey's roadways. Consider this route for a quick coastal escape without a significant time commitment.

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Trenton, NJ and Seaside Park, 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 right at fork

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward NJ 35 South: Seaside Park, Island Beach
20

Merge onto NJ 35

1.0 mi · 2 min · NJ 35
21

Turn left onto E Street

240 ft · 10 sec · E Street
22

Arrive at destination

E Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Lakewood, NJ, NJ

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lakewood, NJ

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

New Egypt, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Manalapan, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24 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 15

5 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 right at fork toward NJ 35 South: Seaside Park, Island Beach

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward NJ 35 South: Seaside Park, Island Beach

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.96 one way

$15.92 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.72 $17.43
premium $4.93 $9.31 $18.62
diesel $5.61 $10.60 $21.20

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.4 0 $5.04 $2.30
Efficient EV 12 0 $4.20 $1.92
EV Truck/SUV 19.2 0 $6.72 $3.07

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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Trenton, NJ

Morning in Trenton on Tuesday

Local time

6:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Seaside Park, NJ

Morning in Seaside Park on Tuesday

Local time

6:51 AM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

61°F

Lakewood, NJ

24 mi in

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

15 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

1h 11m 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 48-mile trip features a 52% highway share. You'll spend about 19 miles on the Central Jersey Expressway before transitioning to surface roads. Expect a mix of highway cruising and navigating more traditional roads as you approach your destination. Keep an eye out for the increasing number of exits as you get closer to the shore.

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 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

166 ft 5 ft

Total Climb

114 ft

Total Descent

169 ft

Highest Point

166 ft

~17.2 mi in

Elevation Range

161 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 Seaside Park, 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 →

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.

Arriving in Seaside Park, NJ

Full guide →

Seaside Heights is a borough with almost 3,000 residents (2019) in the New Jersey Shore region. Seaside Heights is a beach town on a barrier island that faces the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Barnegat Bay on the west. It is connected to the mainland community of Toms River via the Thomas A. Mathis Bridge (New Jersey Route 37) over the bay. Seaside Park, directly to the south on the same island, is also covered in this article.

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 11m. Total distance: 48 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m 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.

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 Seaside Park, 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 Seaside Park, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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