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Trip from Wayne, NJ to Clifton, NJ

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

14m

Distance

9 mi

15 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Fair

2 stations

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 13m ★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m

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

township in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States

Wayne, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States

Clifton, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This quick 9-mile drive from Wayne to Clifton, New Jersey, is easily manageable in about 14 minutes, making it perfect for a single-day trip. Expect to spend around $1 on fuel for this short journey. The route is predominantly highway-focused, with a substantial 74% of the drive on major roads. Given its brevity, you won't need to worry about overnight stays or splitting the trip. It's a straightforward trip within the Northeast region, connecting two points within the same state. This route is ideal for those needing to cover a short distance efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
US 46 4.5 mi 5m
US 202 1.7 mi 1m
Van Houten Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Newark-Pompton Turnpike 0.4 mi <1m
Clifton Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Ryerson Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
St James Place 0.1 mi <1m
Donna Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: US 46 — 4.5 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Wayne, NJ and Clifton, NJ.

1

Start on Ryerson Avenue

0.2 mi · 57 sec · Ryerson Avenue
2

At end of road, turn right onto CR 683

0.1 mi · 16 sec · Newark-Pompton Turnpike
3

Keep slight right at fork onto Newark-Pompton Turnpike

0.3 mi · 31 sec · Newark-Pompton Turnpike
4

Continue on this road

0.1 mi · 17 sec · this road
5

Merge onto US 202; NJ 23

1.7 mi · 1 min · US 202; NJ 23
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

297 ft · 7 sec
Toward I 80 East, US 46 East: New York, Clifton
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 42 sec
Toward US 46 East: Clifton
8

Merge onto US 46

2.1 mi · 2 min · US 46
9

Continue on US 46

2.4 mi · 2 min · US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Take the exit

452 ft · 16 sec
Toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, Passaic Use the slight right lane.
11

At end of road, turn right onto CR 623

179 ft · 9 sec · Grove Street
12

Turn left onto CR 614

0.8 mi · 1 min · Van Houten Avenue
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto NJ 161

0.3 mi · 46 sec · Clifton Avenue
14

Turn left onto St James Place

0.1 mi · 31 sec · St James Place
15

Turn right onto Donna Drive

522 ft · 28 sec · Donna Drive
16

Turn left onto Holly Street

516 ft · 22 sec · Holly Street
17

Arrive at destination

Holly Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 7.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | CR 683 / Newark-Pompton Turnpike

At end of road, turn right onto CR 683 / Newark-Pompton Turnpike

Navigation decision point

5
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Newark-Pompton Turnpike

Keep slight right at fork onto Newark-Pompton Turnpike

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

5
0.8 mi into trip | ~2m in | US 202; NJ 23

Merge onto US 202; NJ 23

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
2.5 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the exit toward I 80 East, US 46 East: New York, Clifton

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 80 East, US 46 East: New York, Clifton
7
7.4 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, Passaic

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.49 one way

$2.98 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $1.63 $3.27
premium $4.93 $1.75 $3.49
diesel $5.61 $1.99 $3.97

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.7 0 $0.94 $0.43
Efficient EV 2.3 0 $0.79 $0.36
EV Truck/SUV 3.6 0 $1.26 $0.58

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Wayne, NJ

Late night in Wayne on Sunday

Local time

3:46 AM

EDT

Current temp

44°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Clifton, NJ

Late night in Clifton on Sunday

Local time

3:46 AM

EDT

Current temp

90°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 3 to 12 mph 4% chance 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

46 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

14m 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 drive leans heavily towards a highway experience, with 74% of the total mileage on major roads like US 46 and US 202. You'll encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch on US 46, covering 4.5 miles. While primarily a highway-focused profile, the route also incorporates sections of Van Houten Avenue, suggesting a slight transition from faster thoroughfares to more localized roads as you approach your destination. The overall feel is likely one of steady progress on well-maintained, higher-speed routes for most of the journey.

74% 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: 4.5 mi on US 46.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 46 and US 202. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CR 683 / Newark-Pompton Turnpike.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 14m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CR 683 / Newark-Pompton Turnpike): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Newark-Pompton Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles (US 202; NJ 23): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Wayne, NJ to Clifton, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Passaic along the way.

Passaic

7.4 mi in | ~10m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 14m. Total distance: 9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

14m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.5 miles on US 46. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 Clifton, 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 0.2 miles (CR 683 / Newark-Pompton Turnpike): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Newark-Pompton Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles (US 202; NJ 23): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison 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 Clifton, 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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