Origin
Elmwood Park, NJ
Afternoon in Elmwood Park on Saturday
Local time
3:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Elmwood Park, NJ to Clifton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
10m
Distance
6.3 mi
10 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 10m
★
6 AM
0h 11m
8 AM
0h 12m
10 AM
0h 11m
12 PM
0h 11m
3 PM
0h 11m
5 PM
0h 12m
8 PM
0h 10m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Elmwood Park, NJ
Thomas Parker
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Elmwood Park, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 6.3 miles and takes about 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 46, Mola Boulevard, Van Houten Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.7 miles on US 46. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.04 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 46 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Mola Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Van Houten Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| NJ 19 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| St James Place | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Donna Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Holly Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 46
— 3.7 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Elmwood Park, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on Linden Avenue
128 ft
·
7 sec
·
Linden Avenue
2
Turn right onto Mola Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Mola Boulevard
3
Take the ramp
331 ft
·
9 sec
4
Merge onto US 46
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
US 46
Use the slight right lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward CR 509 South: Broad Street, Clifton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto NJ 19; CR 509
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
NJ 19; CR 509
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Turn left onto CR 614
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Van Houten Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Clifton Avenue
10
Turn left onto St James Place
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
St James Place
11
Turn right onto Donna Drive
522 ft
·
28 sec
·
Donna Drive
12
Turn left onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
13
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 5.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 46
Merge onto US 46
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 46
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
4.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward CR 509 South: Broad Street, Clifton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CR 509 South: Broad Street, Clifton
5
4.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
NJ 19; CR 509
Merge onto NJ 19; CR 509
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
5.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
CR 614 / Van Houten Avenue
Turn left onto CR 614 / Van Houten Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.04 one way
$2.09 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.14 | $2.29 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.22 | $2.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.39 | $2.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.66 | $0.30 |
| Efficient EV | 1.6 | 0 | $0.55 | $0.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.88 | $0.40 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Clifton, NJ
Afternoon in Clifton on Saturday
Local time
3:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°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
8 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
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.
What kind of drive is this?
6.3 mi in 10m, mostly highway — 3.7 mi of that is on US 46.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.7 mi on US 46.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 46 and Mola Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near US 46.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 6.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 10m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 10m. Total distance: 6.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.7 miles on US 46. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Clifton, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park (4 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Clifton, NJ before heading back.
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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