Origin
Little Ferry, NJ
Afternoon in Little Ferry on Saturday
Local time
4:45 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Little Ferry, 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
13m
Distance
9.9 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Little Ferry, NJ
Garrison Gao
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Little Ferry, NJ to Paterson, NJ covers 9.9 miles and takes about 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Christopher Columbus Highway, Sylvan Avenue, NJ 17 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.3 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.64 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 6.3 mi | 7m |
| Sylvan Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| NJ 17 | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Liberty Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Charles Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Colt Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Christopher Columbus Highway
— 6.3 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Little Ferry, NJ and Paterson, NJ.
1
Start on Charles Street
190 ft
·
10 sec
·
Charles Street
2
Turn right onto CR 40
327 ft
·
12 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto CR 503
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Liberty Street
4
Turn left onto US 46
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Sylvan Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Take the exit
423 ft
·
11 sec
Toward NJ 17 North: Paramus
Use the slight right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
this road
Toward NJ 17 North: Paramus
7
Merge onto NJ 17
0.8 mi
·
52 sec
·
NJ 17
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 80 West
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Merge onto I 80
6.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
Toward Paterson
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto CR 509
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
12
Turn right onto CR 648
453 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
13
Turn left onto Colt Street
42 ft
·
3 sec
·
Colt Street
14
Arrive at destination
Colt Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 40 / Main Street
Turn right onto CR 40 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
1.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward NJ 17 North: Paramus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 17 North: Paramus
6
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward I 80 West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 80 West
6
9.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward Paterson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Paterson
6
9.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CR 509 / Main Street
Turn left onto CR 509 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.64 one way
$3.28 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.80 | $3.60 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.92 | $3.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.19 | $4.37 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.87 | $0.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4 | 0 | $1.39 | $0.63 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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.
Destination
Paterson, NJ
Afternoon in Paterson on Saturday
Local time
4:45 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
9 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
13m 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?
9.9 mi in 13m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.3 mi on Christopher Columbus Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 40 / Main Street.
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 11 decision points packed into just 9.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 13m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 40 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 13m. Total distance: 9.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.3 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway. 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 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: near the start (CR 40 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 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 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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