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Trip from Elizabeth, NJ to Kingston, NJ

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

47m

Distance

33 mi

53 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m

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

Downtown Elizabeth, NJ, NJ

Elizabeth, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Kingston, NJ, NJ

Kingston, NJ

David Kanigan

Trip Overview

Elizabeth, NJ to Kingston, NJ is 33 miles and takes about 47m via New Jersey Turnpike and US 1, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive that stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey. It’s a short enough trip that you can easily complete it within a single day, making it ideal for a quick commute or a simple point-to-point journey. Given the brief duration and minimal distance, you won't need to budget for overnight stays.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 33 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

47m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 84% of the journey on higher-speed roads. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 14.9 miles on the New Jersey Turnpike, offering a consistent pace. The primary roads involved, including the New Jersey Turnpike and US 1, suggest a drive that balances efficient travel with some sections that may transition to more local artery-style roads as you near your destination. Expect a fairly direct and functional driving experience for most of this 33-mile trip.

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 14.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 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 19 decision points packed into just 33 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 19 key points

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

9
2.6 mi into trip | ~5m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
8
18 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick

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 9 Toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick
8
18.8 mi into trip | ~24m in

Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers Univ...
7
19 mi into trip | ~25m in

Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers Univ...
7
22.3 mi into trip | ~31m in | US 1

Keep slight left at fork onto US 1

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Elizabeth, NJ and Kingston, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike, Njtp South: Trenton, Rutgers University and Trenton.

Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike

2.3 mi in | ~4m

Njtp South: Trenton

2.6 mi in | ~5m

Rutgers University

18.8 mi in | ~24m

Trenton

19.5 mi in | ~26m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New Jersey Turnpike 14.9 mi 17m
US 1 12.3 mi 17m
Raymond Road 1.2 mi 2m
Bayway 0.8 mi 1m
Main Street 0.7 mi 1m
State Route 18 0.4 mi <1m
East Jersey Street 0.2 mi <1m
Brunswick Avenue 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: New Jersey Turnpike — 14.9 mi, about 17m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Elizabeth, NJ and Kingston, NJ.

1

Start on this road

34 ft · 7 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto East Jersey Street

0.2 mi · 38 sec · East Jersey Street
3

Turn right onto US 1; US 9

1.1 mi · 1 min · US 1; US 9
4

Enter roundabout onto NJ 439

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Bayway
5

Continue on NJ 439

0.6 mi · 1 min · Bayway
6

Turn right onto Brunswick Avenue

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Brunswick Avenue
Use the right lane.
7

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 95 Toll, NJTP Toll: NJ Turnpike
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 11 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 37 sec
Use the slight left lane.
10

Merge onto I 95; NJTP

15 mi · 17 min · New Jersey Turnpike
11

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 9 Toward NJ 18 East, US 1 East: New Brunswick Use the slight right lane.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork

323 ft · 7 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Rutgers University
14

Merge onto NJ 18; CR 527

0.4 mi · 51 sec · State Route 18
15

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward US 1 South: Princeton, Trenton
16

Merge onto US 1

2.4 mi · 3 min · US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
17

Continue on US 1

0.1 mi · 9 sec · US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Keep slight left at fork onto US 1

276 ft · 4 sec · US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
19

Keep slight left at fork onto US 1

387 ft · 6 sec · US 1
20

Keep slight left at fork onto US 1

3.6 mi · 5 min · US 1
21

Continue on US 1

4.9 mi · 7 min · US 1
22

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Toward Raymond Rd
23

Turn slight right onto Raymond Road

1.2 mi · 2 min · Raymond Road
24

Continue on NJ 27

0.7 mi · 1 min · Main Street
25

Turn left

97 ft · 7 sec
26

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 16.5 mi from Elizabeth, NJ · 21m into the drive

township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Edison, NJ

17 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

Princeton, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Edison, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.5 miles from Elizabeth, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Kingston, NJ

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Kingston, NJ if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.47 one way

$10.94 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $5.99 $11.98
premium $4.93 $6.40 $12.80
diesel $5.61 $7.29 $14.57

Estimated Tolls: $2.08

New Jersey Turnpike (14.9 mi) $2.08

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

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.9 0 $3.47 $1.58
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.89 $1.32
EV Truck/SUV 13.2 0 $4.62 $2.11

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 15, 2026

Origin

Elizabeth, NJ

Afternoon in Elizabeth on Friday

Local time

1:25 PM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Kingston, NJ

Afternoon in Kingston on Friday

Local time

1:25 PM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

63°F

Edison, NJ

17 mi in

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

3 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

47m 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 Elizabeth, NJ to Kingston, NJ covers 33 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are New Jersey Turnpike, US 1, Raymond 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 16.5 miles from Elizabeth, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.47 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 19 decision points packed into just 33 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.

The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Elizabeth, NJ and Kingston, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike, Njtp South: Trenton, Rutgers University and Trenton.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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