Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Union City, NJ to Roseland, NJ

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

30m

Distance

19.6 mi

31 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States

Union City, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Roseland, NJ, NJ

Roseland, NJ

Peter Vang

Trip Overview

Union City, NJ to Roseland, NJ is 19.6 miles and takes about 30 minutes via Essex Freeway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip entirely within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given the minimal distance and time commitment, this route is ideal for a quick commute or a brief excursion. You'll primarily be on major roadways, making it a practical option for most vehicles.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Essex Freeway 12.1 mi 17m
New Jersey Turnpike 3.3 mi 4m
NJ 495 0.7 mi 1m
CR 527 0.7 mi 1m
John F. Kennedy Boulevard 0.5 mi 1m
Eagle Rock Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
45th Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Essex Freeway — 12.1 mi, about 17m

Traffic on I-280

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

8 AM

~4,644 veh/hr typical

Quietest

2 AM

~178 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

26.1×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 74 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 Union City, NJ and Roseland, 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

3.3 mi · 4 min · New Jersey Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 15W Toward I 280 West: Newark, Kearny Use the slight right lane.
10

Continue on I 280

12 mi · 17 min · Essex Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 5B Toward CR 527 North: The Caldwells, Livingston Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn straight onto CR 527

0.7 mi · 1 min · CR 527
Use the straight lane.
13

Turn right onto CR 527; CR 611

0.1 mi · 17 sec · Eagle Rock Avenue
14

Turn right

31 ft · 2 sec
15

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 18.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.8 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward NJ 495 West, NJTP West

Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward NJ 495 West, NJTP West
5
1.8 mi into trip | ~3m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South: Newark

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 95 South: Newark
5
2.4 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 95 / New Jersey Turnpike

Merge onto I 95 / New Jersey Turnpike

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
5.7 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the exit toward I 280 West: Newark, Kearny

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 15W Toward I 280 West: Newark, Kearny
8
18.5 mi into trip | ~28m in

Take the exit toward CR 527 North: The Caldwells, Livingston

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 5B Toward CR 527 North: The Caldwells, Livingston

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.37 one way

$6.74 round trip

$4.37/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.79 $3.70 $7.39
premium $5.13 $3.96 $7.91
diesel $5.97 $4.60 $9.21

Estimated Tolls: $0.46

New Jersey Turnpike (3.3 mi) $0.46

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

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.06 $0.94
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.78
EV Truck/SUV 7.8 0 $2.74 $1.25

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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

Union City, NJ

Morning in Union City on Saturday

Local time

6:21 AM

EDT

Current temp

69°F

Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Cloudy

NE 3 to 7 mph 86% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued September 1 at 10:28PM EDT until September 2 at 12:45AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Roseland, NJ

Morning in Roseland on Saturday

Local time

6:21 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Cloudy

E 6 to 9 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Flash Flood Warning

Flash Flood Warning issued September 1 at 10:28PM EDT until September 2 at 12:45AM 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

3 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

30m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is mostly highway driving, with 86% of the 19.6 miles on major roads like the Essex Freeway and New Jersey Turnpike. You'll experience a long stretch of 12.1 miles on the Essex Freeway before transitioning to other roads. Expect a lot of merging and exiting activity given the urban and suburban environment of Northern New Jersey.

86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.1 mi on Essex Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Essex Freeway and New Jersey Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in.

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 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 2.4 miles (I 95 / New Jersey Turnpike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

592 ft 11 ft

Total Climb

608 ft

Total Descent

427 ft

Highest Point

592 ft

~15.4 mi in

Elevation Range

581 ft

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 Roseland, NJ, road signs point toward Kearny, Cr 527 North: The Caldwells and Livingston.

Kearny

5.7 mi in | ~9m

Cr 527 North: The Caldwells

18.5 mi in | ~28m

Livingston

18.5 mi in | ~28m

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 Roseland, NJ

Full guide →

Founded 1908

Top landmarks

  • • Williams-Harrison House — Roseland, New Jersey, NRHP-listed

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 30m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 12.1 miles on Essex Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.46 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.

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 Roseland, 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 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 2.4 miles (I 95 / New Jersey Turnpike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Roseland, 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, NPS for national parks, 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

Explore More

More from Union City, NJ

Green Knoll, NJ 43.1 mi · 57m Long Hill, NJ 27.5 mi · 39m Bergenfield, NJ 11.8 mi · 21m
Escape planner: Union City, NJ Scenic drives in NJ

Explore more options from Union City, NJ or browse trips ending in Roseland, NJ.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.