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Trip from Brownville, 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

56m

Distance

37.2 mi

60 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 54m

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

Downtown Brownville, NJ, NJ

Brownville, NJ

Alexa V. Mato

city in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States

Clifton, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Brownville, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 37.2 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Garden State Parkway, US Highway 9, Allwood Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.17 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 27.6 mi 38m
US Highway 9 4.6 mi 6m
Allwood Road 1 mi 1m
Clifton Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
West Passaic Avenue 0.5 mi <1m
East Passaic Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
Old Bridge-Matawan Road 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 Brownville, NJ and Clifton, NJ.

1

Start on Cloister Court

406 ft · 23 sec · Cloister Court
2

At end of road, turn left onto Thames Drive

0.1 mi · 33 sec · Thames Drive
3

Turn right onto Cottrell Road

442 ft · 21 sec · Cottrell Road
4

Turn sharp left onto CR 516

0.4 mi · 43 sec · Old Bridge-Matawan Road
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 23 sec
Toward US 9 North: The Amboys
6

Merge onto US 9

4.6 mi · 6 min · US Highway 9
7

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
8

Merge onto GSP

28 mi · 38 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
9

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Exit 151 Toward Montclair, Nutley Use the slight right lane.
10

Turn right onto CR 655

483 ft · 15 sec · Watchung Avenue
11

At end of road, turn left onto CR 652

0.4 mi · 45 sec · East Passaic Avenue
12

Turn right onto CR 622

0.5 mi · 52 sec · West Passaic Avenue
13

Turn left onto CR 622

411 ft · 7 sec · Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
14

Continue on CR 622

0.4 mi · 37 sec · Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15

Enter roundabout onto CR 602

261 ft · 4 sec · Allwood Road
16

Continue on CR 602

1.0 mi · 1 min · Allwood Road
17

Turn right onto NJ 161

0.5 mi · 1 min · Clifton Avenue
18

Turn right onto Olga B Terrace

174 ft · 9 sec · Olga B Terrace
19

Turn right onto Hutton Road

39 ft · 6 sec · Hutton Road
20

Turn left onto Olga B Terrace

441 ft · 25 sec · Olga B Terrace
21

Turn left onto Donna Drive

0.1 mi · 33 sec · Donna Drive
22

Turn right onto Holly Street

516 ft · 22 sec · Holly Street
23

Arrive at destination

Holly Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

19 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

New York City, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 37 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.6 miles from Brownville, 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 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 34.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Thames Drive

At end of road, turn left onto Thames Drive

Navigation decision point

5
0.3 mi into trip | ~1m in | CR 516 / Old Bridge-Matawan Road

Turn sharp left onto CR 516 / Old Bridge-Matawan Road

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

5
6 mi into trip | ~10m 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
33.6 mi into trip | ~48m 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
34.8 mi into trip | ~51m in | CR 622 / Darling Avenue

Turn left onto CR 622 / Darling Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.17 one way

$12.33 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.75 $13.51
premium $4.93 $7.21 $14.43
diesel $5.61 $8.21 $16.43

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

$6

Tolls

$2

Total

$8

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

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.2 0 $3.91 $1.79
Efficient EV 9.3 0 $3.26 $1.49
EV Truck/SUV 14.9 0 $5.21 $2.38

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Brownville, NJ

Afternoon in Brownville on Saturday

Local time

1:27 PM

EDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Clifton, NJ

Afternoon in Clifton on Saturday

Local time

1:27 PM

EDT

Current temp

80°F

Chance Rain Showers

NW 6 to 9 mph 28% 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

34 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

56m 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?

37.2 mi in 56m, mostly highway — 27.6 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.

87% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 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 18 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Thames Drive.

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 37.2 miles you will encounter 18 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 0.1 miles (Thames Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (CR 516 / Old Bridge-Matawan Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 6 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.

Between Brownville, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Montclair and Nutley.

Montclair

33.6 mi in | ~48m

Nutley

33.6 mi in | ~48m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 37.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (87%). 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 0.1 miles (Thames Drive): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (CR 516 / Old Bridge-Matawan Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 6 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 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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