Origin
Union City, NJ
Morning in Union City on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union City, NJ to Emerson, 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
28m
Distance
16.3 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Emerson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Union City, NJ to Emerson, NJ is 16.3 miles and takes about 28m via Kinderkamack Road/Teaneck Road/NJ 4, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a short drive that primarily uses surface roads, making it a straightforward option for a quick local trip. You'll mostly be navigating through developed areas, so expect typical local traffic. This route is ideal if you're looking for minimal travel time and don't need an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Kinderkamack Road | 4.7 mi | 7m |
| Teaneck Road | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| NJ 4 | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| Tonnelle Avenue | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Broad Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Bergen Turnpike | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Hendricks Causeway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| 51st Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Kinderkamack Road
— 4.7 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union City, NJ and Emerson, NJ.
1
Start on 45th Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
45th Street
2
Turn right onto CR 501
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
3
Turn left onto 51st Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
51st Street
4
Turn right onto US 1; US 9
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Tonnelle Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on US 1; US 9
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Broad Avenue
6
Turn left onto CR 124
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Hendricks Causeway
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on CR 124
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Bergen Turnpike
8
Turn right onto CR 39
3.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Teaneck Road
Use the right lane.
9
Take the ramp
372 ft
·
11 sec
Toward NJ 4 West, GSP: Paterson, U Turn
10
At end of road, turn right onto NJ 4
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 4
Use the slight right lane.
11
Take the exit
156 ft
·
4 sec
Toward River Edge
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
301 ft
·
8 sec
Toward River Edge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Continue on Grand Avenue
432 ft
·
15 sec
·
Grand Avenue
14
Turn left onto CR 51
4.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Kinderkamack Road
Use the left lane.
15
Arrive at destination
CR 503
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 11.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 501 / John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Turn right onto CR 501 / John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue
Turn right onto US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
9.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
NJ 4
At end of road, turn right onto NJ 4
Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward River Edge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward River Edge
8
11.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward River Edge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward River Edge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.80 one way
$5.60 round trip
$4.37/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $3.07 | $6.15 |
| premium | $5.13 | $3.29 | $6.58 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.04
Bergen Turnpike
(0.6 mi)
$0.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
Emerson, NJ
Morning in Emerson on Saturday
Local time
6:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°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
13 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
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?
This drive is mostly surface roads, with only 18% of the route on highways. You'll encounter a stretch of 4.7 miles on Kinderkamack Road before transitioning. Expect to navigate through developed areas with frequent intersections and local traffic. The highway portion, NJ 4, will offer a brief period of faster travel before you return to surface streets.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.7 mi on Kinderkamack Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR 501 / John F. Kennedy Boulevard.
Driving Effort
7/10
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 16.3 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 0.1 miles (CR 501 / John F. Kennedy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles (NJ 4): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Union City, NJ and Emerson, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp: Paterson, U Turn and River Edge.
Gsp: Paterson
9.1 mi in
|
~17m
U Turn
9.1 mi in
|
~17m
River Edge
11.5 mi in
|
~20m
About the Cities
Starting 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.
Top landmarks
- • Monastery and Church of Saint Michael the Archangel — church building in New Jersey, United States of America
Arriving in Emerson, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1903
The rural municipality of Emerson-Franklin is the main crossing into Central Manitoba for Winnipeg-bound traffic from the United States. A sparsely-populated expanse of prairie at the eastern edge of the Pembina Valley, it includes the communities of Emerson, West Lynne, Roseau River, Franklin, Arnaud, Tolstoi and Dominion 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: 16.3 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 4.7 miles on Kinderkamack Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.04 in tolls one way, starting with Bergen 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 Emerson, 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 0.1 miles (CR 501 / John F. Kennedy Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (US 1; US 9 / Tonnelle Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.2 miles (NJ 4): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Emerson, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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