Origin
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Afternoon in Franklin Lakes on Saturday
Local time
3:42 PM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Franklin Lakes, NJ to New Brunswick, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
45.9 mi
74 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 22m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
New Brunswick, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Franklin Lakes, NJ to New Brunswick, NJ covers 45.9 miles and takes about 1h 10m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Garden State Parkway, US 1, Belmont Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.8 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.61 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 23.8 mi | 33m |
| US 1 | 6.9 mi | 10m |
| Belmont Avenue | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| Ewing Avenue | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| NJ 19 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Garden State Parkway Southbound | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| High Mountain Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Franklin Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 23.8 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Franklin Lakes, NJ and New Brunswick, 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
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Ewing Avenue
Use the straight lane.
4
At end of road, turn left onto CR 89
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
High Mountain Road
5
Keep slight right at fork onto CR 675
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Belmont Avenue
6
Turn left onto CR 673
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Broadway
7
Turn right onto CR 509
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Main Street
8
Turn right onto NJ 19
397 ft
·
9 sec
·
Ward Street
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on NJ 19
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Oliver Street
10
Turn slight left onto NJ 19
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 19
Use the slight left lane.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP South
Use the slight left lane.
12
Merge onto GSP
24 mi
·
33 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Continue on Garden State Parkway
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Garden State Parkway Southbound
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 130B-A
Toward US 1: Newark, Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 130B
Toward US 1 South: Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
16
Merge onto US 1
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
US 1
17
Continue on US 1
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
US 1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on US 1
4.7 mi
·
7 min
·
US 1
Use the slight right lane.
19
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward NJ 18: New Brunswick, East Brunswick
Use the slight right lane.
20
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Piscataway
Use the slight right lane.
21
Merge onto NJ 18; CR 527
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
State Route 18
22
Take the exit onto CR 527
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
CR 527
Toward NJ 172: New Brunswick, Cook/Douglass Campus, Paul Robeson Boulevard, New Street, Highland Park
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Turn straight onto Route 18 Service Road
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Route 18 Service Road
Toward NJ 18 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Turn left onto Paul Robeson Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Paul Robeson Boulevard
Use the left lane.
25
Turn right onto Suydam Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Suydam Street
26
Turn left onto CR 691
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Livingston Avenue
27
Turn right onto Delavan Street
68 ft
·
3 sec
·
Delavan Street
28
Arrive at destination
Delavan Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.9 miles from Franklin Lakes, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 225 decision points cluster between mile 36.1 and 44.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
36.1 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Newark, Trenton
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 130B-A
Toward US 1: Newark, Trenton
9
36.4 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 1 South: Trenton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 130B
Toward US 1 South: Trenton
7
43.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Take the exit toward NJ 18: New Brunswick, East 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.
Toward NJ 18: New Brunswick, East Brunswick
9
43.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Piscataway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 18 North: New Brunswick, Piscataway
7
44.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 6m in
|
CR 527
Take the exit onto CR 527 toward NJ 172: New Brunswick, Cook/Douglass Campus, Paul Robeson Boulevard, New Street, Highland Park
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 NJ 172: New Brunswick, Cook/Douglass Cam...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.61 one way
$15.22 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.33 | $16.67 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.90 | $17.80 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.13 | $20.27 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.51
Garden State Parkway
(25.1 mi)
$1.51
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$2
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.82 | $2.20 |
| Efficient EV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.4 | 0 | $6.43 | $2.94 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
New Brunswick, NJ
Afternoon in New Brunswick on Saturday
Local time
3:42 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°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
4 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
1h 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?
45.9 mi in 1h 10m, mostly highway — 23.8 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.8 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 36.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.9 miles you will encounter 22 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 36.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Franklin Lakes, NJ and New Brunswick, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp South, Trenton and Brunswick.
Gsp South
10.5 mi in
|
~17m
Trenton
36.1 mi in
|
~53m
Brunswick
43.6 mi in
|
~1h 5m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 45.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.8 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.51 in tolls one way, starting with Garden State Parkway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 New Brunswick, 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 36.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 43.6 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 New Brunswick, 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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