Origin
Metuchen, NJ
Morning in Metuchen on Friday
Local time
9:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Metuchen, NJ to Passaic, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
41m
Distance
26.9 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 48m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Metuchen, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Passaic, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Metuchen, NJ to Passaic, NJ is 26.9 miles and takes about 41m via Garden State Parkway and Bloomfield Avenue, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically connecting two points in New Jersey. It's a relatively short drive, making it ideal for a single-day excursion without feeling rushed. You'll primarily be on major roadways, so expect consistent traffic flow, especially during peak commuting hours. Consider this route if you need a straightforward, efficient journey between these two New Jersey locations.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 41m. Total distance: 26.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
41m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route is heavily highway-focused, with 74% of the drive utilizing major roads. You'll experience a solid 20-mile stretch on the Garden State Parkway, offering a consistent pace for a significant portion of your journey. As you transition to local roads like Lincoln Highway and Bloomfield Avenue, the character will shift towards more urban driving. Expect more traffic signals and varied speed limits during these latter stages. The overall feel is one of efficient transit between two points, rather than a leisurely scenic tour.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 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 20 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Lincoln Highway. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 miles in.
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 26.9 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: at 2.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.1 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
2.7 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward GSP Toll North
Navigation decision point
Toward GSP Toll North
5
3.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
23 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Montclair, Nutley
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 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
5
24.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Turn left onto CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
26.8 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Passaic Avenue
Turn left onto Passaic 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 Metuchen, NJ and Passaic, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Montclair and Nutley.
Gsp Toll North
2.7 mi in
|
~5m
Montclair
23 mi in
|
~34m
Nutley
23 mi in
|
~34m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 20 mi | 27m |
| Lincoln Highway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Bloomfield Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Middlesex Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Broadway | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Passaic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Passaic Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Paulison Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 20 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Metuchen, NJ and Passaic, NJ.
1
Start on NJ 27
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Middlesex Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Continue on NJ 27
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Lincoln Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
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
20 mi
·
27 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
8
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
9
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
10
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Enter roundabout onto CR 622
173 ft
·
3 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
13
Continue on CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
14
Continue on CR 622
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
15
Continue on CR 622
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
16
Continue on CR 622
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
17
Turn right onto CR 618
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Paulison Avenue
18
Turn left onto Passaic Avenue
95 ft
·
2 sec
·
Passaic Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Passaic Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.46 one way
$8.92 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.88 | $9.77 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.22 | $10.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.94 | $11.88 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.20
Garden State Parkway
(20 mi)
$1.20
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.82 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Passaic, NJ
Morning in Passaic on Friday
Local time
9:09 AM
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
15 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
41m 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 Metuchen, NJ to Passaic, NJ covers 26.9 miles and takes about 41m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, Lincoln Highway, Bloomfield 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 13.4 miles from Metuchen, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.46 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 26.9 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: at 2.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.1 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 23 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Metuchen, NJ and Passaic, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Montclair and Nutley.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park. There are 4 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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