Origin
Closter, NJ
Late night in Closter on Friday
Local time
3:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Closter, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
45m
Distance
28.9 mi
47 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Closter, NJ
Garrison Gao
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 28.9-mile drive from Closter to Elizabeth, New Jersey, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 45 minutes. The route primarily utilizes the New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur and US 1, offering a mixed driving experience. With a modest estimated fuel cost of $6, this is a very budget-friendly excursion. Given its short distance and duration, it's perfectly suited as a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stops. You'll be traveling within the Northeast region for the entirety of this journey, making it a convenient local transit.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 28.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 55% of it on highways. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be about 9.8 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur, providing a chance to settle into a steady pace. The journey transitions between the faster pace of the Turnpike and the more varied conditions of US 1 and Washington Avenue. This blend means you'll experience both efficient highway travel and more typical urban and suburban road conditions as you progress toward Elizabeth.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur is the longest continuous segment at about 9.8 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 9.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 20 decision points packed into just 28.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 9.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 miles (I 95; NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
9.6 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South: The Ridgefields
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South: The Ridgefields
8
11.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
I 95; NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur toward I 95 South: Turnpike South, Exit 16W
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South: Turnpike South, Exit 16W
8
22.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
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 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Hollan...
8
24.4 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 1-9 South, NJ 21, US 22: Newark
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward US 1-9 South, NJ 21, US 22: Newark
8
24.9 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
Executive Drive
Keep slight left at fork onto Executive Drive toward US 1, US 9 South: Elizabeth
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 1, US 9 South: Elizabeth
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Closter, NJ and Elizabeth, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South, Exit 16W, Economy Parking and Area.
Njtp South
9.3 mi in
|
~17m
Exit 16W
11.8 mi in
|
~20m
|
via I 95; NJTP
Economy Parking
24.3 mi in
|
~37m
Area
24.3 mi in
|
~37m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur | 9.8 mi | 13m |
| US 1 | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Washington Avenue | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Teaneck Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| New Jersey Turnpike | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Schraalenburgh Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| High Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Degraw Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur
— 9.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Closter, NJ and Elizabeth, NJ.
1
Start on Railroad Avenue
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Railroad Avenue
2
Continue on Naugle Street
521 ft
·
22 sec
·
Naugle Street
3
Continue on Closter Dock Road
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Closter Dock Road
4
Turn left onto West Street
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
·
West Street
5
At end of road, turn right onto CR 502
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
High Street
6
Turn straight onto CR 502
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Old Hook Road
7
Turn left onto CR 39
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Schraalenburgh Road
8
Continue on CR 39
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Washington Avenue
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on CR 39
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Teaneck Road
10
Turn left onto CR 56
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Degraw Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
Toward I 95 South: The Ridgefields
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95; NJTP
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur
Toward I 95 South: Turnpike South, Exit 16W
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
16
Merge onto I 95
7.2 mi
·
9 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur
17
Take the exit
1.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
18
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 14
Toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
19
Merge onto I 78
379 ft
·
4 sec
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway Tolls
20
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78
0.4 mi
·
26 sec
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward US 1-9 South: Newark, Economy Parking, North Area
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
22
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 1-9 South, NJ 21, US 22: Newark
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
23
Keep slight left at fork onto Executive Drive
460 ft
·
11 sec
·
Executive Drive
Toward US 1, US 9 South: Elizabeth
Use the slight left lane.
24
Merge onto US 1; US 9
0.6 mi
·
50 sec
·
US 1; US 9
25
Continue on US 1; US 9
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
US 1; US 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Turn right onto East Jersey Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Jersey Street
27
Turn right
34 ft
·
2 sec
28
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.79 one way
$9.58 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.25 | $10.50 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.60 | $11.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.38 | $12.76 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.64
New Jersey Turnpike
(11.6 mi)
$1.64
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$2
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.05 | $1.85 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Elizabeth, NJ
Late night in Elizabeth on Friday
Local time
3:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
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
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
45m 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 Closter, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ covers 28.9 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur, US 1, Washington Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.4 miles from Closter, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.79 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 20 decision points packed into just 28.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
The main spots that need attention: at 9.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.8 miles (I 95; NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Closter, NJ and Elizabeth, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South, Exit 16W, Economy Parking and Area.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area. There are 4 parks within detour distance of this route.
Data sources
The figures on this page are computed from open government and mapping datasets, not crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Full methodology, refresh cadence, and limitations are documented on the methodology page.
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