Origin
West Freehold, NJ
Morning in West Freehold on Sunday
Local time
10:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from West Freehold, 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
1h 13m
Distance
48.4 mi
78 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Freehold, NJ
Aisling Kerr
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
West Freehold, NJ to Clifton, NJ is 48.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 13 minutes via Garden State Parkway and US Highway 9, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Jersey, making it a convenient option for local travelers. Expect a straightforward drive primarily on major roadways. With no planned stops and a relatively short duration, this route is ideal for a quick transit, whether you're heading north for business or leisure. It’s a practical choice for getting from point A to point B efficiently within the Northeast region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 27.6 mi | 38m |
| US Highway 9 | 15.6 mi | 22m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Passaic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Passaic Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Bloomfield Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 27.6 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between West Freehold, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on this road
235 ft
·
20 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Schlectweg Way
269 ft
·
21 sec
·
Schlectweg Way
3
Continue on Schlectweg Way
508 ft
·
27 sec
·
Schlectweg Way
4
Turn right onto CR 537
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn right onto Barkalow Avenue
329 ft
·
5 sec
·
Barkalow Avenue
6
Take the ramp
123 ft
·
9 sec
7
Turn right onto US 9
16 mi
·
22 min
·
US Highway 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
9
Merge onto GSP
28 mi
·
38 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
12
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
13
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
14
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Enter roundabout onto CR 602
261 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allwood Road
17
Continue on CR 602
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Allwood Road
18
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
19
Turn right onto Olga B Terrace
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
20
Turn right onto Hutton Road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hutton Road
21
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
441 ft
·
25 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
22
Turn left onto Donna Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Donna Drive
23
Turn right onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
24
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from West Freehold, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 46 — 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
|
~1m in
|
CR 537 / West Main Street
Turn right onto CR 537 / West Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 9 / US Highway 9
Turn right onto US 9 / US Highway 9
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
17.2 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
44.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
Take the exit toward Montclair, Nutley
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 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
5
46 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Turn left onto CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.02 one way
$16.05 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.79 | $17.58 |
| premium | $4.93 | $9.39 | $18.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.69 | $21.37 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.65
Garden State Parkway
(27.6 mi)
$1.65
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$2
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.78 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Clifton, NJ
Morning in Clifton on Sunday
Local time
10:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
24 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
1h 13m 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 drive is overwhelmingly highway-focused, with 89% of the route utilizing major roads. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on the Garden State Parkway, including a continuous stretch of 27.6 miles. The profile suggests a predominantly high-speed experience, designed for efficient travel rather than leisurely sightseeing. While the core of the journey is on the Parkway and US Highway 9, the final segment on Allwood Road will bring you into more local driving conditions as you approach Clifton. Prepare for a driving experience characterized by consistent speeds and a focus on covering ground.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.6 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US Highway 9. You will hit about 19 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CR 537 / West Main Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.4 miles you will encounter 19 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CR 537 / West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (US 9 / US Highway 9): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between West Freehold, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Montclair and Nutley.
Montclair
44.8 mi in
|
~1h 6m
Nutley
44.8 mi in
|
~1h 6m
About the Cities
Arriving in Clifton, NJ
Full guide →Clifton is a city in Passaic County, New Jersey.
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 1h 13m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 27.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.65 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 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 537 / West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (US 9 / US Highway 9): Lane positioning matters here; at 17.2 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): 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 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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