Origin
Watchung, NJ
Night in Watchung on Tuesday
Local time
9:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Watchung, NJ to Bayonne, NJ
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 9, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
23.6 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Watchung, NJ
MINEIA MARTINS
Bayonne, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Watchung, NJ to Bayonne, NJ is 23.6 miles and takes about 33 minutes via Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway and New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within New Jersey, connecting two points in the Northeast region. The drive is predominantly on major roadways, making it a straightforward transit between these two locations. Given its brevity, it's ideal for a quick transfer or as part of a larger itinerary without consuming significant travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 16.5 mi | 19m |
| New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Broadway | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Hillcrest Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East 53rd Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Valley Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
— 16.5 mi, about 19m
Traffic on I-78
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 36 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,598 veh/hr typical · worst 4,220
Quietest
2 AM
~240 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 48 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 Watchung, NJ and Bayonne, NJ.
1
Start on this road
312 ft
·
28 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
62 ft
·
9 sec
3
Turn left onto CR 527
107 ft
·
5 sec
·
Valley Road
4
Turn sharp right onto CR 531
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Hillcrest Road
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward I 78 East: Newark
6
Merge onto I 78
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78
7.8 mi
·
9 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 78 East: Holland Tunnel, New York City
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 78
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 58A-B
Toward NJTP, I 95, US 1-9, NJ 21, US 22: Port Newark
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto I 78
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto I 78; NJTP
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 14A
Toward NJ 440: Bayonne
Use the slight right lane.
14
Take the exit
247 ft
·
8 sec
Toward East 53rd Street
15
Continue on East 53rd Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
East 53rd Street
16
Turn left onto Broadway
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Broadway
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
Broadway
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 8.4 and 22.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
8.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
16.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward I 78 East: Holland Tunnel, New York City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 78 East: Holland Tunnel, New York City
8
17.2 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward NJTP, I 95, US 1-9, NJ 21, US 22: Port Newark
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 58A-B
Toward NJTP, I 95, US 1-9, NJ 21, US 22: Port N...
7
21.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward NJ 440: Bayonne
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 14A
Toward NJ 440: Bayonne
6
22.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
Broadway
Turn left onto Broadway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.94 one way
$7.89 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $4.34 | $8.68 |
| premium | $5.01 | $4.66 | $9.31 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.20 | $10.40 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.47
New Jersey Turnpike
(3.3 mi)
$0.47
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.30 | $1.51 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Bayonne, NJ
Night in Bayonne on Tuesday
Local time
9:53 PM
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
15 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
33m 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 route is mostly highway, with 84% of the drive on major roads. You'll encounter a stretch of 16.5 miles on the Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway before transitioning. The New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension is also a significant part of the drive. Expect frequent exits and merges as you navigate these busy arteries, especially as you approach Bayonne.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.5 mi on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway and New Jersey Turnpike Newark Bay Extension. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8.4 miles in near I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway.
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 23.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8.4 miles (I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
446 ft
5 ft
Total Climb
501 ft
Total Descent
644 ft
Highest Point
446 ft
~5.1 mi in
Elevation Range
440 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 Watchung, NJ and Bayonne, NJ, road signs point toward New York City and Njtp.
New York City
16.1 mi in
|
~20m
Njtp
17.2 mi in
|
~22m
About the Cities
Starting in Watchung, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1926
Arriving in Bayonne, NJ
Full guide →Founded 1861
Bayonne is a city of 72,000 people (2020) in New Jersey. It is home to Cape Liberty Cruise Port. The city is not a usual tourist destination for daytrippers from New York City, but it does have the authenticity of a suburban town with a relatively low-density, often tree-lined urban feel that harkens back to the times before gentrification. And like some of the lower-density neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Bayonne has many churches.
Top landmarks
- • Robbins Reef Light — lighthouse in New Jersey, United States
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 33m. Total distance: 23.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.5 miles on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.47 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 Bayonne, 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 8.4 miles (I 78 / Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bayonne, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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