Drive or Fly: Menlo Park, NJ to Passaic, NJ?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for EWR–TEB. At 25 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

37m

Distance

25 mi

Total Cost

$41

CO2

10 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$6

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 31m

3m in the air

Air Distance

23 mi

Total Cost

$121

CO2

6 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Menlo Park, NJ → EWR 18m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 3m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

TEB → Passaic, NJ 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $121) $121

Airports

Menlo Park, NJ EWR — Newark Liberty International Airport 12 mi, ~18m drive

Passaic, NJ TEB — Teterboro Airport 4 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between EWR and TEB. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

1h 18m

15m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Acela

Door-to-Door Timeline

Menlo Park, NJ → Metropark Amtrak Station 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 15m

Arrival 10m

Newark → Passaic, NJ 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From Metropark Amtrak Station 0 mi, ~10m drive

To Newark 9 mi, ~13m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~26/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 29m

40m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

FlixBus 2601

Door-to-Door Timeline

Menlo Park, NJ → New Brunswick (Downtown) (6RU) 11m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 40m

Arrival 10m

Newark (NJ) (NWK6) → Passaic, NJ 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $2) $2

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From 6RU — New Brunswick (Downtown) 7 mi, ~11m drive

To NWK6 — Newark (NJ) 9 mi, ~13m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	37m	2h 31m	1h 18m	1h 29m
Total cost (1 person)	$41	$121	$3	$2
Carbon footprint	10 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Menlo Park, NJ to Passaic, NJ with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.