Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 12, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
29.5 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Wanaque, NJ
Agastya Garg
Union, NJ to Wanaque, NJ is 29.5 miles and takes about 40m via Garden State Parkway and NJ 23, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, covering a relatively short distance between two points in the Northeast region. Given the brief travel time and minimal estimated fuel cost, this route is ideal for a quick excursion or a segment of a larger New Jersey road trip. You'll primarily be on highways, making it a straightforward drive.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 11.8 mi | 16m |
| NJ 23 | 7.2 mi | 8m |
| US 46 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| I 287 | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Ringwood Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| State Route 3 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Harding Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,323 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~318 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 98 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Union, NJ and Wanaque, NJ.
Start on Harding Avenue
Turn left onto CR 630
Turn slight left
Take the ramp
Continue on this road
Merge onto GSP
Take the exit
Merge onto NJ 3
Merge onto US 46
Take the exit
Merge onto NJ 23
Continue on NJ 23
Take the exit
Merge onto I 287
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto CR 511 ALT
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 27.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward GSP Toll North
Navigation decision point
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward NJ 3 West: Wayne
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CR 511, CR 511 Alt: Wanaque, Pompton Lakes
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Wanaque
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.07 one way
$10.14 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.79 | $5.56 | $11.13 |
| premium | $5.13 | $5.95 | $11.91 |
| diesel | $5.97 | $6.93 | $13.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.71
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-09-07.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Union on Saturday
Local time
6:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Morning in Wanaque on Saturday
Local time
6:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is mostly highway, with 86% of the 29.5 miles on major roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll experience is 11.8 miles on the Garden State Parkway. You'll transition from highway cruising to surface roads as you approach Wanaque, NJ. Expect a high volume of exits and entrances during the highway portion of your trip.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and NJ 23. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in.
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 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
378 ft
Total Descent
244 ft
Highest Point
291 ft
~14.7 mi in
Elevation Range
190 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Union, NJ and Wanaque, NJ, road signs point toward Butler, Cr 511, Cr 511 Alt: Wanaque and Pompton Lakes.
Butler
Cr 511
Cr 511 Alt: Wanaque
Pompton Lakes
Founded 1918
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m 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.
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.
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