Origin
Belleville, NJ
Afternoon in Belleville on Saturday
Local time
12:42 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Belleville, NJ to Clifton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
12m
Distance
6.8 mi
11 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 11m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 13m
12 PM
0h 13m
3 PM
0h 13m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Belleville, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Belleville, NJ to Clifton, NJ is 6.8 miles and takes about 12 minutes via Washington Avenue and State Route 3, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey. It's a very direct connection, ideal for those needing to get between these two points quickly. Given the minimal distance and time, this is a straightforward, single-day journey with no need for overnight stays.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 12m. Total distance: 6.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
12m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This drive offers a mixed experience, with 36% of the journey on highway. You'll encounter stretches on Washington Avenue, State Route 3, and Kingsland Street. The longest continuous segment you'll navigate is 2.3 miles on Washington Avenue. Expect a blend of quicker highway travel and more local road driving as you make your way between Belleville and Clifton.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Washington Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 2.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.3 miles in near NJ 7 / Kingsland Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
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 6.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 12m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.3 miles (NJ 7 / Kingsland Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
NJ 7 / Kingsland Road
Turn left onto NJ 7 / Kingsland Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
5.6 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward Broad Street, Bloomfield, Paterson
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 Broad Street, Bloomfield, Paterson
7
5.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
6.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Hutton Road
Turn right onto Hutton Road
Navigation decision point
5
6.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Donna Drive
Turn left onto Donna Drive
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Belleville, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Bloomfield and Paterson.
Bloomfield
5.6 mi in
|
~9m
Paterson
5.6 mi in
|
~9m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Washington Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| State Route 3 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Kingsland Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| NJ 7 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Allwood Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Kingsland Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Donna Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Washington Avenue
— 2.3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Belleville, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on NJ 7
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Washington Avenue
2
Turn left onto NJ 7
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Kingsland Road
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on NJ 7
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Kingsland Street
4
Keep slight right at fork onto NJ 7
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
NJ 7
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
6
Merge onto NJ 3
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
State Route 3
7
Take the exit
495 ft
·
13 sec
Toward Broad Street, Bloomfield, Paterson
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
117 ft
·
3 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto CR 602
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Allwood Road
10
Turn left onto NJ 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
11
Turn right onto Olga B Terrace
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
12
Turn right onto Hutton Road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hutton Road
13
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
441 ft
·
25 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
14
Turn left onto Donna Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Donna Drive
15
Turn right onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
16
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.13 one way
$2.25 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.23 | $2.47 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.32 | $2.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.50 | $3.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2 | 0 | $0.71 | $0.33 |
| Efficient EV | 1.7 | 0 | $0.60 | $0.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.44 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Afternoon in Clifton on Saturday
Local time
12:42 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Partly Cloudy
E 2 to 9 mph
31% 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
9 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
12m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Belleville, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 6.8 miles and takes about 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Washington Avenue, State Route 3, Kingsland Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.4 miles from Belleville, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.13 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 6.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 12m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.3 miles (NJ 7 / Kingsland Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Belleville, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Bloomfield and Paterson.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area. There are 4 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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