Origin
Union City, NJ
Morning in Union City on Sunday
Local time
10:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union City, NJ to Maplewood, 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
16.9 mi
27 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
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.
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Maplewood, NJ
Thomas Parker
Trip Overview
Union City, NJ to Maplewood, NJ is 16.9 miles and takes about 28 minutes via the New Jersey Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and entirely within New Jersey, making it a straightforward local excursion. Given its minimal distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick errand, a visit to a nearby town, or as a segment of a larger regional trip. You'll primarily be on highways for this drive, so expect consistent speeds for most of the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Elmwood Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Lyons Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| NJ 495 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Oakland Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Springfield Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 6.2 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union City, NJ and Maplewood, NJ.
1
Start on 45th Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
45th Street
2
Turn left onto CR 501
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
3
Turn slight left
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward NJ 495 West, NJTP West
5
Continue on this road
374 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
Toward NJ 495 West
6
Merge onto NJ 495
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 495
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South: Newark
8
Merge onto I 95
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
New Jersey Turnpike
Toward I 95 South
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Exit 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 14
Toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
12
Merge onto I 78
379 ft
·
4 sec
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway Tolls
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Take the exit
348 ft
·
8 sec
Exit 55
Toward Hillside, Irvington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 55
Toward Hillside, Irvington
16
Turn straight onto Fabyan Place
149 ft
·
6 sec
·
Fabyan Place
17
Turn right onto CR 602
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Lyons Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
18
At end of road, turn left onto CR 603
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Springfield Avenue
19
Turn right onto CR 605
510 ft
·
18 sec
·
Sanford Avenue
20
Turn left onto Elmwood Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Elmwood Avenue
21
Continue on Elmwood Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Elmwood Avenue
Use the left lane.
22
At end of road, turn left onto Prospect Street
318 ft
·
12 sec
·
Prospect Street
23
Turn right onto Oakland Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Oakland Road
24
Turn left onto Dunnell Road
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Dunnell Road
25
Arrive at destination
Dunnell Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 8 and 13.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike toward I 95 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South
8
8.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
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 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Hollan...
7
9.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 14
Toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
8
13.3 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward Hillside, Irvington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 55
Toward Hillside, Irvington
8
13.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Hillside, Irvington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 55
Toward Hillside, Irvington
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.80 one way
$5.60 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.07 | $6.14 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.28 | $6.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.73 | $7.46 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.86
New Jersey Turnpike
(6.2 mi)
$0.86
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.77 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.48 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.37 | $1.08 |
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
Maplewood, NJ
Morning in Maplewood on Sunday
Local time
10:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°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
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 highway, with 61% of the 16.9 miles on high-speed roads. You'll encounter your longest unbroken stretch of highway at 6.2 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike. After this, you'll transition to surface streets like Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway and Elmwood Avenue. Be prepared for urban merging and dense exits as you approach your destination.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.2 mi on New Jersey Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8 miles in near NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 20 decision points packed into just 16.9 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 8 miles (NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Between Union City, NJ and Maplewood, NJ, road signs point toward Hillside and Irvington.
Hillside
13.3 mi in
|
~19m
Irvington
13.3 mi in
|
~19m
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.
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: 16.9 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 (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.2 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.86 in tolls one way, starting with New Jersey 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.
Yes — we found about 5 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 Maplewood, 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 8 miles (NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park (4 total within detour distance). 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 Maplewood, 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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