Origin
Elizabeth, NJ
Late night in Elizabeth on Saturday
Local time
2:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elizabeth, NJ to Monmouth Junction, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
30.8 mi
50 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
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.
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Monmouth Junction, NJ
Alexa V. Mato
Trip Overview
The drive from Elizabeth, NJ to Monmouth Junction, NJ covers 30.8 miles and takes about 44m 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, US 1, New Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.9 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.11 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 30.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m 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 is a 44m highway drive covering 30.8 miles, with most of the trip on New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. The longest continuous stretch is about 14.9 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 25 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 20 decision points packed into just 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
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 20 key pointsThese 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 Monmouth Junction, 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 | 10.6 mi | 15m |
| New Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Bayway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| State Route 18 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| East Jersey Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Brunswick Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ridge Road | <0.1 mi | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 14.9 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elizabeth, NJ and Monmouth Junction, 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
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
US 1
22
Take the exit
401 ft
·
13 sec
Toward Monmouth Junction, Kendall Park
23
Turn left onto New Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
New Road
24
At end of road, turn right onto Ridge Road
46 ft
·
0 sec
·
Ridge Road
25
Arrive at destination
Ridge Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.11 one way
$10.21 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.59 | $11.19 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.97 | $11.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.80 | $13.60 |
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
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.70 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.31 | $1.97 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Monmouth Junction, NJ
Late night in Monmouth Junction on Saturday
Local time
2:17 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°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
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
44m 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 Monmouth Junction, NJ covers 30.8 miles and takes about 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New Jersey Turnpike, US 1, New 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 15.4 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 $5.11 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 30.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
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 Monmouth Junction, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll: Nj Turnpike, Njtp South: Trenton, Rutgers University and Trenton.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Gateway National Recreation Area 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.
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