Origin
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Afternoon in Franklin Lakes on Saturday
Local time
2:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Franklin Lakes, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
29.9 mi
48 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Franklin Lakes, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ covers 29.9 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NJ 21, NJ 208, McLean Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.3 miles on NJ 21. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.96 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 21 | 14.3 mi | 20m |
| NJ 208 | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| McLean Boulevard | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| US 1 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Franklin Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Fair Lawn Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| US 46 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Ewing Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 21
— 14.3 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Franklin Lakes, NJ and Elizabeth, NJ.
1
Start on Shirley Avenue
0.2 mi
·
59 sec
·
Shirley Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR S-89
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Franklin Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 502
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Ewing Avenue
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward NJ 208 South: Fair Lawn
5
Merge onto NJ 208
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
NJ 208
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Turn straight onto NJ 208
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 208
Use the right lane.
7
Continue on NJ 208
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 208
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward Fair Lawn Avenue
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto CR 76
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Fair Lawn Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
At end of road, turn left onto NJ 20
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
McLean Boulevard
11
Continue on NJ 20
0.8 mi
·
51 sec
·
McLean Boulevard
12
Merge onto US 46
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
·
US 46
13
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 21
14 mi
·
20 min
·
NJ 21
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Merge onto US 1; US 9
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
US 1; US 9
15
Continue on US 1; US 9
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
US 1; US 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Turn right onto East Jersey Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Jersey Street
17
Turn right
34 ft
·
2 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 12 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR S-89 / Franklin Avenue
Turn right onto CR S-89 / Franklin Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
NJ 208
Merge onto NJ 208
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
7.2 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward Fair Lawn Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Fair Lawn Avenue
6
7.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
CR 76 / Fair Lawn Avenue
Turn right onto CR 76 / Fair Lawn Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
12 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
NJ 21
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 21
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.91 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.43 | $10.86 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.80 | $11.60 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.60 | $13.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 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 | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.62 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.19 | $1.91 |
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
Afternoon in Elizabeth on Saturday
Local time
2:17 PM
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
19 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
42m 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?
29.9 mi in 42m, mostly highway — 14.3 mi of that is on NJ 21.
80% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.3 mi on NJ 21.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 21 and NJ 208. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near CR S-89 / Franklin Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 29.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (CR S-89 / Franklin Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (NJ 208): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Discover Along the Route
Interesting stops within a short detour of your drive.
Starbucks
Cafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
0.8 mi from route
~2 min detour
mile 16.6
Clifton, NJ
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteFormaggio's Cafe
Cafe
Near the end, short detour
1 mi from route
~3 min detour
mile 26.5
Starbucks
Cafe
Near the start, short detour
1.4 mi from route
~4 min detour
mile 3.3
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteStarbucks
Cafe
Around the midpoint, short detour
1.8 mi from route
~4 min detour
mile 16.6
East Rutherford, NJ
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteStarbucks
Cafe
Near the start, ~9 min detour
3.5 mi from route
~9 min detour
mile 3.3
Wayne, NJ
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteUncle Louie's Pizza
Restaurant
Near the start, right off the route
0.2 mi from route
Cuisine: italian
Visit websiteNaru Restaurant
Restaurant
Near the start, right off the route
0.2 mi from route
~1 min detour
Cuisine: japanese
Visit websiteThe Chef's Table
Restaurant
Near the start, right off the route
0.2 mi from route
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Cuisine: fine_dining
Hours: Mo off, Tu-Su 11:45-14:30, 19:00-21:00,...
Dunkin'
Fast_food
Near the end, right off the route
0.6 mi from route
~2 min detour
mile 26.5
Newark, NJ
Cuisine: donut;coffee_shop
Hours: 24/7
Visit websiteTommy Cheng's Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant
Near the start, right off the route
0.2 mi from route
Cuisine: chinese
Panera Bread
Fast_food
Around the midpoint, right off the route
0.7 mi from route
~2 min detour
mile 16.6
Clifton, NJ
Cuisine: sandwich;bakery
Hours: Mo-Sa 07:00-22:00; Su 08:00-22:00
Visit websitePulaski Park
Park
Around the midpoint, right off the route
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
mile 13.3
O'Brien Park
Park
Near the end, right off the route
0.6 mi from route
~1 min detour
mile 29.9
Walker Park
Park
Near the end, right off the route
0.6 mi from route
~2 min detour
mile 29.9
Williams Field
Park
Near the end, right off the route
0.8 mi from route
~2 min detour
mile 29.9
Belleville Park
Park
Later in the drive, short detour
1 mi from route
~3 min detour
mile 19.9
Kingsland Park
Park
Around the midpoint, short detour
1.1 mi from route
~3 min detour
mile 16.6
Temple Emanuel Synagogue
Place_of_worship
Early in the drive, right off the route
0.5 mi from route
~1 min detour
mile 10
Sculptures
Artwork
Later in the drive, right off the route
0.6 mi from route
~2 min detour
mile 23.2
AMVETS Carillon
Memorial
Later in the drive, short detour
1.9 mi from route
~5 min detour
mile 19.9
Carlstadt Historic Firehouse Museum
Museum
Around the midpoint, short detour
1.9 mi from route
~5 min detour
mile 16.6
Nutley Museum
Museum
Later in the drive, short detour
2.2 mi from route
~6 min detour
mile 19.9
Visit website
William D. McDowell Observatory
Museum
Later in the drive, short detour
2.2 mi from route
~5 min detour
mile 19.9
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 29.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.3 miles on NJ 21. 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 Elizabeth, 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 0.2 miles (CR S-89 / Franklin Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (NJ 208): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area (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 Elizabeth, 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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