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Trip from Jamesburg, NJ to Paterson, NJ

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 10m

Distance

50.9 mi

82 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 5m ★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
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.

Downtown Jamesburg, NJ, NJ

Jamesburg, NJ

Dajana Blakcori

city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, United States

Paterson, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Jamesburg, NJ to Paterson, NJ covers 50.9 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, New Jersey Turnpike, Forsgate Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.8 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.44 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 25.8 mi 35m
New Jersey Turnpike 16.6 mi 19m
Forsgate Drive 2.4 mi 3m
NJ 19 1.7 mi 1m
East Railroad Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
Main Street 0.3 mi <1m
Grand Street 0.2 mi <1m
Market Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 25.8 mi, about 35m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Jamesburg, NJ and Paterson, NJ.

1

Start on CR 522

0.4 mi · 1 min · East Railroad Avenue
2

Turn right onto CR 612

2.4 mi · 3 min · Forsgate Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike Use the slight right lane.
4

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 54 sec
Toward I 95, NJTP North: New York City
5

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 1 min
Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 95; NJTP

17 mi · 19 min · New Jersey Turnpike
7

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 11 Toward US 9, GSP: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway Use the slight right lane.
9

Merge onto GSP

26 mi · 35 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
10

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 155A Toward NJ 19: Paterson Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11

Merge onto NJ 19

1.7 mi · 1 min · NJ 19
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

313 ft · 7 sec
Toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 23 sec
Toward Grand Street Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14

Turn right onto CR 638

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Grand Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15

Turn left onto CR 509

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Main Street
Use the straight lane.
16

Turn right onto CR 648

453 ft · 15 sec · Market Street
17

Turn left onto Colt Street

42 ft · 3 sec · Colt Street
18

Arrive at destination

Colt Street

Where to Stop

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

25 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

New Brunswick, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Cranford, NJ

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.5 miles from Jamesburg, 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 20.8 and 50.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
20.8 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward US 9, GSP: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge

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 11 Toward US 9, GSP: Garden State Parkway, Woodbri...
7
21.3 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight right at fork toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
7
47.9 mi into trip | ~1h 5m in

Take the exit toward NJ 19: Paterson

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Exit 155A Toward NJ 19: Paterson
8
50.2 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Grand Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward Grand Street
7
50.4 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in | CR 638 / Grand Street

Turn right onto CR 638 / Grand Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.44 one way

$16.88 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $9.24 $18.48
premium $4.93 $9.87 $19.74
diesel $5.61 $11.24 $22.48

Estimated Tolls: $3.88

New Jersey Turnpike (16.6 mi) $2.33
Garden State Parkway (25.8 mi) $1.55

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$4

Total

$12

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.3 0 $5.34 $2.44
Efficient EV 12.7 0 $4.45 $2.04
EV Truck/SUV 20.4 0 $7.13 $3.26

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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

Jamesburg, NJ

Afternoon in Jamesburg on Saturday

Local time

4:39 PM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Paterson, NJ

Afternoon in Paterson on Saturday

Local time

4:39 PM

EDT

Current temp

61°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

16 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?

50.9 mi in 1h 10m, mostly highway — 25.8 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.

87% 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: 25.8 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 New Jersey Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 20.8 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 50.9 miles you will encounter 16 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 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 47.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Jamesburg, NJ and Paterson, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp: New Jersey Turnpike, Njtp North: New York City and Woodbridge.

Njtp: New Jersey Turnpike

2.8 mi in | ~4m

Njtp North: New York City

3.2 mi in | ~5m

Woodbridge

20.8 mi in | ~26m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 50.9 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 (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 25.8 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $3.88 in tolls one way, starting with New Jersey Turnpike. 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 Paterson, 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 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 47.9 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 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 Paterson, NJ before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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