The drive from Carneys Point, NJ to Union, NJ covers 106.3 miles and takes about 2h 10m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, Pennsville-Auburn Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 89.2 miles on New Jersey Turnpike.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.62 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.
Midpoint
53.2 miles from Carneys Point, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 3m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 10m. Total distance: 106.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 10m highway drive covering 106.3 miles, with most of the trip on New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. The longest continuous stretch is about 89.2 miles on New Jersey Turnpike.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
New Jersey Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 89.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 51.2 miles in near NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike.
Driving Effort10/10
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 20 significant decision points across 106.3 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 51.2 miles (NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 92.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 93 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
51.2 mi into trip|~1h 1m in|NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
92.5 mi into trip|~1h 48m in
Take the exit toward GSP, US 9: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge
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 11
Toward GSP, US 9: Garden State Parkway, Woodbri...
7
93 mi into trip|~1h 49m in
Keep slight right at fork toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
8
105 mi into trip|~2h 6m in
Take the exit toward US 22, NJ 82: Hillside
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 140
Toward US 22, NJ 82: Hillside
6
105.3 mi into trip|~2h 7m in
Take the exit toward NJ 82: Morris Avenue, Kean University, Elizabeth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
The midpoint is around 53.6 miles from Carneys Point, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Union, NJ
The final approach into Union, 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 Union, NJ.
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.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Today, the brick buildings on Main Street in West Orange, NJ seem quiet, betraying little evidence of the research, development, and innovation of their heyday. Visitors can step back in time to Thoma...
6 mi from route
~16 min detour
$10
near mile 107.3
Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winte...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
Free
near mile 103.6
Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 17...
16 mi from route
~39 min detour
Free
near mile 107.3
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...
20 mi from route
~51 min detour
Free
near mile 107.3
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$17.62 one way
$35.25 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg37 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$19.30
$38.60
premium
$4.93
$20.62
$41.23
diesel
$5.61
$23.47
$46.94
Estimated Tolls: $13.15
New Jersey Turnpike
(89.2 mi)$12.48
Garden State Parkway
(11.2 mi)$0.67
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
$18
Tolls
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$56–$81
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 37.2 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $11 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
31.9
0
$11.16
$5.10
Efficient EV
26.6
0
$9.30
$4.25
EV Truck/SUV
42.5
0
$14.88
$6.80
Gas CO2
37 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (68% 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
Carneys Point, NJ
Evening
in Carneys Point on Friday
Local time
8:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Union, NJ
Evening
in Union on Friday
Local time
8:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
47°F
Bristol, PA
53 mi in
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
2h 10m 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 Carneys Point, NJ to Union, NJ covers 106.3 miles and takes about 2h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, Pennsville-Auburn Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 53.2 miles from Carneys Point, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $17.62 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 20 significant decision points across 106.3 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 51.2 miles (NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 92.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 93 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Carneys Point, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp and Woodbridge.
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.
