Origin
Union, NJ
Morning in Union on Saturday
Local time
6:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union, NJ to Garfield, 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
26m
Distance
18.6 mi
30 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 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Garfield, NJ
C. M.
Trip Overview
Union, NJ to Garfield, NJ is 18.6 miles and takes about 26 minutes via McCarter Highway and Garden State Parkway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey. It's a quick trip connecting two points, suitable for a same-day excursion without needing overnight accommodations. Think of it as a straightforward hop that gets you where you need to go efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| McCarter Highway | 10 mi | 11m |
| Garden State Parkway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Essex Freeway | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Outwater Lane | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Ackerman Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Harding Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
McCarter Highway
— 10 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union, NJ and Garfield, NJ.
1
Start on Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
17 sec
·
Harding Avenue
2
Turn left onto CR 630
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
3
Turn slight left
105 ft
·
8 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
5
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
this road
6
Merge onto GSP
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 145
Toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges
Use the slight right lane.
8
Continue on this road
160 ft
·
3 sec
·
this road
Toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 280 West, I 280 East: Orange, West Orange, Newark, Harrison
Use the slight left lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 280 East: Newark, Harrison
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 280
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Essex Freeway
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 15
Toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Center
Use the slight right lane.
13
Turn left onto NJ 21
10.0 mi
·
11 min
·
McCarter Highway
Use the left / right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 13
Toward Ackerman Avenue, Botany Village, Garfield
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn right onto Ackerman Avenue
421 ft
·
11 sec
·
Ackerman Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Continue on Outwater Lane
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Outwater Lane
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn left
25 ft
·
1 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 5.2 and 17.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
5.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges
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 145
Toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges
9
5.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West, I 280 East: Orange, West Orange, Newark, Harrison
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 280 West, I 280 East: Orange, West Ora...
8
5.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 280 East: Newark, Harrison
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 280 East: Newark, Harrison
8
7.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Center
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 15
Toward NJ 21: Newark, Belleville, Prudential Ce...
8
17.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward Ackerman Avenue, Botany Village, Garfield
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 13
Toward Ackerman Avenue, Botany Village, Garfiel...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.20 one way
$6.39 round trip
$4.37/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $3.51 | $7.02 |
| premium | $5.13 | $3.75 | $7.51 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.26
Garden State Parkway
(4.3 mi)
$0.26
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: 6.5 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 | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
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.
Destination
Garfield, NJ
Morning in Garfield on Saturday
Local time
6:41 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
18 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
26m 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 32% of this 18.6-mile route is on highways. You'll experience a mixed highway and surface road profile, with the longest continuous stretch on a highway being 10 miles on McCarter Highway. Expect urban merging and exiting as you navigate between these different road types. The transition from highway to surface roads will be a noticeable change in driving conditions.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10 mi on McCarter Highway.
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 5.2 miles in.
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 14 decision points packed into just 18.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 26m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
162 ft
9 ft
Total Climb
159 ft
Total Descent
228 ft
Highest Point
162 ft
~5.3 mi in
Elevation Range
153 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 Union, NJ and Garfield, NJ, road signs point toward Cr 508: Newark, The Oranges, Orange, Newark, Harrison and Belleville - among others.
Cr 508: Newark
5.2 mi in
|
~8m
The Oranges
5.2 mi in
|
~8m
Orange
5.5 mi in
|
~9m
Newark
5.5 mi in
|
~9m
Harrison
5.5 mi in
|
~9m
Belleville
7.6 mi in
|
~12m
Prudential Center
7.6 mi in
|
~12m
About the Cities
Arriving in Garfield, NJ
Full guide →Bergen County is in the Gateway region at the northeastern corner of New Jersey. Bergen County and its many inner suburbs constitute a highly developed part of the New York City metropolitan area.
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 26m. Total distance: 18.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 miles on McCarter Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.26 in tolls one way, starting with Garden State Parkway. 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 Garfield, 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 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. 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 Garfield, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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