The drive from Cedar Grove, NJ to Union, NJ covers 128.8 miles and takes about 2h 38m 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, Shore Road, Kings Highway for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 122.6 miles on Garden State Parkway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.35 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
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
64.4 miles from Cedar Grove, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 17m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 38m. Total distance: 128.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 38m highway drive covering 128.8 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and Shore Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 122.6 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 22 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 122.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Shore Road. 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 US 9 / Shore Road.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 128.8 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 (US 9 / Shore Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.6 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.8 mi into trip|~2m in|US 9 / Shore Road
At end of road, turn left onto US 9 / Shore Road
Navigation decision point
5
5.8 mi into trip|~9m in|GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
39.6 mi into trip|~48m 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
127.4 mi into trip|~2h 34m 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
127.7 mi into trip|~2h 35m 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
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
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 128.8
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 128.8
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 128.8
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...
18 mi from route
~45 min detour
Free
near mile 97.7
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.35 one way
$42.71 round trip
$4.21/gal25.4 MPG avg45 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.61
$23.39
$46.77
premium
$4.93
$24.98
$49.96
diesel
$5.61
$28.44
$56.87
Estimated Tolls: $7.36
Garden State Parkway
(122.6 mi)$7.36
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
$21
Tolls
$7
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$54–$79
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 45.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
38.6
0
$13.52
$6.18
Efficient EV
32.2
0
$11.27
$5.15
EV Truck/SUV
51.5
0
$18.03
$8.24
Gas CO2
45 kg
EV CO2
15 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 as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Cedar Grove, NJ
Late night
in Cedar Grove on Saturday
Local time
5:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Union, NJ
Late night
in Union on Saturday
Local time
5:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Scattered Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy
E 2 to 7 mph31% chanceLive 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
7 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 38m 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 Cedar Grove, NJ to Union, NJ covers 128.8 miles and takes about 2h 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, Shore Road, Kings Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 64.4 miles from Cedar Grove, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $21.35 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 128.8 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 (US 9 / Shore Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.6 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Cedar Grove, NJ to Union, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. 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.
