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Trip from Cape May, NJ to Hamilton, NJ

Drive Time

2h 5m

Distance

104 mi

167 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$17

one way

EV Charging

None

0 DC fast

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 27 min
4 AM
1h 56m ★
6 AM
2h 5m
8 AM
2h 23m
10 AM
2h 11m
12 PM
2h 10m
3 PM
2h 12m
5 PM
2h 22m
8 PM
2h 0m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Cape May, NJ, NJ

Cape May, NJ

Aisling Kerr

Downtown Hamilton, NJ, NJ

Hamilton, NJ

Garrison Gao

Trip Overview

The drive from Cape May, NJ to Hamilton, NJ covers 104 miles and takes about 2h 5m 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, Lafayette Street, Reading Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 100.4 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.21 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

52 miles from Cape May, NJ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 3m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 2h 5m highway drive covering 104 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and Lafayette Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 100.4 miles on Garden State Parkway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Garden State Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 100.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Lafayette Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near East Street.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 104 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (NJ 109; OD / Washington Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0.8 mi into trip | ~3m in | East Street

Turn left onto East Street

Navigation decision point

7
0.8 mi into trip | ~3m in | Washington Street

Turn right onto Washington Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
1 mi into trip | ~3m in | NJ 109; OD / Washington Street

Keep slight right at fork onto NJ 109; OD / Washington Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
55.5 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in | GSP / Garden State Parkway

Keep slight left at fork onto GSP / Garden State Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
8
102.8 mi into trip | ~2h 2m in

Take the exit toward NJ 33 East: Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach

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 100A Toward NJ 33 East: Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 100.4 mi 1h 56m
Lafayette Street 1 mi 1m
Reading Avenue 0.7 mi 2m
NJ 33 0.5 mi <1m
Washington Street 0.2 mi <1m
Old Corlies Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Massachusetts Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
East Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 100.4 mi, about 1h 56m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cape May, NJ and Hamilton, NJ.

1

Start on this road

82 ft · 11 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto New York Avenue

104 ft · 6 sec · New York Avenue
3

Turn right onto Reading Avenue

0.7 mi · 2 min · Reading Avenue
4

Turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue

324 ft · 19 sec · Massachusetts Avenue
5

Turn left onto East Street

302 ft · 15 sec · East Street
6

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Washington Street
Use the straight lane.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto NJ 109; OD

102 ft · 2 sec · Washington Street
Use the right lane.
8

Turn straight onto NJ 109; OD

1.0 mi · 1 min · Lafayette Street
9

Turn straight onto GSP

19 mi · 22 min · Garden State Parkway
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway North Use the slight right lane.
10

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 31 sec
11

Merge onto GSP

34 mi · 39 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto GSP

47 mi · 55 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Exit 100A Toward NJ 33 East: Ocean Grove, Bradley Beach Use the slight right lane.
14

Merge onto NJ 33

0.5 mi · 58 sec · NJ 33
15

Turn right onto (17)

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Old Corlies Avenue
16

Turn right onto Gully Road

155 ft · 4 sec · Gully Road
17

Arrive at destination

Gully Road

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 52 miles from Cape May, NJ, or about 1h 3m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 100.4 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 80 miles or 1h 36m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 52 miles or 1h 3m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 42m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hamilton, NJ than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Cape May, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Cape May, NJ

This is one driving day of about 104 miles and 2h 5m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Cape May, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Garden State Parkway for about 100.4 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 52 mi from Cape May, NJ · 1h 3m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

52 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

Staten Island, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 52 miles from Cape May, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Garden State Parkway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 100.4 miles.

Arriving in Hamilton, NJ

The final approach into Hamilton, NJ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Hamilton, NJ.

After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Gateway National Recreation Area

Gateway National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for...

26 mi from route ~66 min detour Free near mile 104
Park Closure: Dead Horse Bay (Brooklyn) Remains Closed to the Public
Park Closure: Jacob Riis Park Access Restrictions
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$17.21 one way

$34.42 round trip

$4.20/gal 25.4 MPG avg 36 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.60 $18.83 $37.66
premium $4.92 $20.15 $40.31
diesel $5.64 $23.11 $46.21

Estimated Tolls: $6.02

Garden State Parkway (100.4 mi) $6.02

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$17

Tolls

$6

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$48–$73

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 36.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 31.2 0 $10.92 $4.99
Efficient EV 26 0 $9.10 $4.16
EV Truck/SUV 41.6 0 $14.56 $6.66

Gas CO2

36 kg

EV CO2

12 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 data refreshed 19 hours ago

Origin

Cape May, NJ

Afternoon in Cape May on Monday

Local time

1:38 PM

EDT

Current temp

55°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Hamilton, NJ

Afternoon in Hamilton on Monday

Local time

1:38 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

2 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

2h 5m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Cape May, NJ to Hamilton, NJ covers 104 miles and takes about 2h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, Lafayette Street, Reading Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 52 miles from Cape May, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $17.21 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 demanding drive. With 14 significant decision points across 104 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (East Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (Washington Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (NJ 109; OD / Washington Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Cape May, NJ to Hamilton, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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