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Trip from Lakewood, NJ to Paramus, NJ

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

1h 44m

Distance

68.2 mi

110 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 23 min
4 AM
1h 37m ★
6 AM
1h 45m
8 AM
2h 0m
10 AM
1h 50m
12 PM
1h 49m
3 PM
1h 51m
5 PM
2h 0m
8 PM
1h 40m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Lakewood, NJ, NJ

Lakewood, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States

Paramus, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lakewood, NJ to Paramus, NJ covers 68.2 miles and takes about 1h 44m 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 Highway 9, Madison Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 38.3 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $11.31 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

34.1 miles from Lakewood, NJ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 51m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 44m. Total distance: 68.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 44m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 44m highway drive covering 68.2 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and US Highway 9. The longest continuous stretch is about 38.3 miles on Garden State Parkway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Garden State Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 38.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US Highway 9. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 68.2 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.4 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 65.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue

Turn right onto US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
27.4 mi into trip | ~42m in | GSP / Garden State Parkway

Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
65.6 mi into trip | ~1h 35m in

Take the exit toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 163 Toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah
6
66.6 mi into trip | ~1h 37m in

Take the exit toward Glen Rock

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

Use the straight / right lanes. Toward Glen Rock
5
68 mi into trip | ~1h 43m in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 38.3 mi 53m
US Highway 9 26 mi 38m
Madison Avenue 1 mi 1m
East Midland Avenue 0.6 mi 2m
Country Club Road 0.6 mi 2m
NJ 17 0.4 mi <1m
8th Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 38.3 mi, about 53m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lakewood, NJ and Paramus, NJ.

1

Start on 8th Street

46 ft · 4 sec · 8th Street
2

Turn right onto US 9; CR 547

1.0 mi · 1 min · Madison Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
3

Continue on US 9

26 mi · 38 min · US Highway 9
Use the straight lane.
4

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
5

Merge onto GSP

38 mi · 53 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
6

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Exit 163 Toward NJ 17 North: Mahwah Use the slight right lane.
7

Merge onto NJ 17

0.4 mi · 33 sec · NJ 17
8

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 49 sec
Toward Glen Rock Use the straight / right lanes.
9

Turn slight right onto East Midland Avenue

0.6 mi · 2 min · East Midland Avenue
10

Turn left onto Country Club Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Country Club Road
11

Continue on Country Club Road

0.2 mi · 49 sec · Country Club Road
12

Continue on Country Club Road

167 ft · 13 sec · Country Club Road
13

Turn right

129 ft · 12 sec
14

Turn right

194 ft · 16 sec
15

Turn left

0.2 mi · 1 min
16

Arrive at destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 34.1 miles from Lakewood, NJ, or about 51m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 38.3 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 15 miles or 22m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 34.1 miles or 51m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 25m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Paramus, NJ than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lakewood, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Lakewood, NJ

This is one driving day of about 68.2 miles and 1h 44m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 15 miles from Lakewood, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Garden State Parkway for about 38.3 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 34.1 mi from Lakewood, NJ · 51m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

34 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

Manalapan, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 15 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 34.1 miles from Lakewood, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Paramus, NJ

The final approach into Paramus, NJ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Today, the brick buildings on Main Street in West Orange, NJ seem quiet, betraying little evidence of the research, development, and innovation of their heyday. Visitors can step back in time to Thoma...

2 mi from route ~5 min detour $10 near mile 51.8
View on nps.gov
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 17...

3 mi from route ~7 min detour Free near mile 58.8
View on nps.gov
Morristown National Historical Park

Morristown National Historical Park

National Historical Park

Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winte...

15 mi from route ~37 min detour Free near mile 42.4
View on nps.gov
Gateway National Recreation Area

Gateway National Recreation Area

National Recreation Area

Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for...

20 mi from route ~49 min detour Free near mile 47.1
View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$11.31 one way

$22.61 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 24 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $12.38 $24.77
premium $4.93 $13.23 $26.45
diesel $5.61 $15.06 $30.12

Estimated Tolls: $2.30

Garden State Parkway (38.3 mi) $2.30

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

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$11

Tolls

$2

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$39–$64

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 23.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 20.5 0 $7.16 $3.27
Efficient EV 17.1 0 $5.97 $2.73
EV Truck/SUV 27.3 0 $9.55 $4.36

Gas CO2

24 kg

EV CO2

8 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 16, 2026

Origin

Lakewood, NJ

Evening in Lakewood on Thursday

Local time

6:13 PM

EDT

Current temp

70°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Paramus, NJ

Evening in Paramus on Thursday

Local time

6:13 PM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

23 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

1h 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 Lakewood, NJ to Paramus, NJ covers 68.2 miles and takes about 1h 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, US Highway 9, Madison Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 34.1 miles from Lakewood, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $11.31 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 68.2 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 9; CR 547 / Madison Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.4 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 65.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Lakewood, NJ to Paramus, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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