Origin
Menlo Park, NJ
Afternoon in Menlo Park on Thursday
Local time
4:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Menlo Park, NJ to Clark, NJ
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
13m
Distance
6.8 mi
11 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 12m
★
6 AM
0h 13m
8 AM
0h 15m
10 AM
0h 14m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 14m
5 PM
0h 15m
8 PM
0h 12m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Menlo Park, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Clark, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Menlo Park, NJ to Clark, NJ covers 6.8 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 Garden State Parkway, Walnut Avenue, Lincoln Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.7 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.13 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 13m. Total distance: 6.8 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Menlo Park, NJ to Clark, NJ covers 6.8 miles and takes about 13m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
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 3.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.9 miles in near Exit 135.
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 6.8 miles you will encounter 12 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 4.9 miles (Exit 135): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.1 miles (CR 613 / Central Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
4.9 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Exit 135
Take the exit onto Exit 135 toward Clark, Westfield
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 135
Toward Clark, Westfield
7
5 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Westfield, Brant Avenue, Rahway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Westfield, Brant Avenue, Rahway
7
5.1 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
CR 613 / Central Avenue
Turn right onto CR 613 / Central Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
5.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
CR 632 / Walnut Avenue
Turn left onto CR 632 / Walnut Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Lexington Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto Lexington Avenue
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Menlo Park, NJ and Clark, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Westfield and Rahway.
Gsp Toll North
0.8 mi in
|
~1m
Westfield
4.9 mi in
|
~7m
|
via Exit 135
Rahway
5 mi in
|
~8m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Walnut Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Lincoln Highway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Valley Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Chester Lang Place | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Philip Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Exit 135 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Carolina Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 3.7 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Menlo Park, NJ and Clark, NJ.
1
Start on Philip Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Philip Street
2
At end of road, turn left onto NJ 27
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lincoln Highway
3
Take the ramp
467 ft
·
11 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
4
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
this road
5
Merge onto GSP
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Garden State Parkway
6
Take the exit onto Exit 135
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Exit 135
Exit 135
Toward Clark, Westfield
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
231 ft
·
7 sec
Toward Westfield, Brant Avenue, Rahway
8
Turn right onto CR 613
55 ft
·
4 sec
·
Central Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on Central Avenue
223 ft
·
4 sec
·
Central Avenue
10
Turn slight right onto CR 608
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Valley Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto CR 632
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Walnut Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
Turn left onto Chester Lang Place
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Chester Lang Place
13
At end of road, turn right onto Lexington Avenue
355 ft
·
20 sec
·
Lexington Avenue
14
Turn left onto Carolina Street
397 ft
·
19 sec
·
Carolina Street
15
Turn right onto Concord Street
211 ft
·
9 sec
·
Concord Street
16
Arrive at destination
Concord Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.13 one way
$2.25 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
2 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.23 | $2.47 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.32 | $2.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.50 | $3.00 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.22
Garden State Parkway
(3.7 mi)
$0.22
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Tolls
$0
Total
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 50% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2 | 0 | $0.71 | $0.33 |
| Efficient EV | 1.7 | 0 | $0.60 | $0.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.44 |
Gas CO2
2 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (50% 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
Clark, NJ
Afternoon in Clark on Thursday
Local time
4:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°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
1 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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Menlo Park, NJ to Clark, NJ covers 6.8 miles and takes about 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, Walnut Avenue, Lincoln Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.4 miles from Menlo Park, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.13 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 6.8 miles you will encounter 12 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: at 4.9 miles (Exit 135): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.1 miles (CR 613 / Central Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Between Menlo Park, NJ and Clark, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Westfield and Rahway.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. There are 4 parks within detour distance of this route.
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