Origin
Metuchen, NJ
Afternoon in Metuchen on Friday
Local time
1:24 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Metuchen, NJ to Union City, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
29.5 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Metuchen, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Metuchen, NJ to Union City, NJ covers 29.5 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Main Street, I 287 South, I 95 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.89 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 42m drive with frequent turns across 29.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Main Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Metuchen, NJ to Union City, NJ is easy. At 42m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Metuchen, NJ to Union City, NJ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Main Street | — | — |
| I 287 South | — | — |
| I 95 | — | — |
| I 95 North | — | — |
| New Jersey Turnpike | — | — |
| New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur | — | — |
| NJ 495 East | — | — |
| Kennedy Boulevard | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Main Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Metuchen, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on Middlesex Avenue
210 ft
·
13 sec
·
Middlesex Avenue
2
Turn right onto Main Street
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
3
Take the ramp left
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
4
Merge slight left
148 ft
·
3 sec
5
Take the exit slight right toward I 287 South, NJ 440 South: Staten Island, Raritan Center, Perth Amboy
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
I 287 South, NJ 440 South: Staten Island, Raritan Center, Perth Amboy
6
Merge slight left
0.7 mi
·
56 sec
7
Take the exit slight right toward I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
I 95, NJTP: New Jersey Turnpike
8
Keep slight right to continue on I 95 North, NJTP North: New York
262 ft
·
6 sec
·
I 95 North, NJTP North: New York
9
Keep slight right to continue on I 95 North: New York
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
I 95 North: New York
10
Merge slight left onto New Jersey Turnpike
17 mi
·
21 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
11
Keep slight right to continue on New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
6.2 mi
·
8 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Eastern Spur
12
Take the exit slight right toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel
13
Continue straight
0.5 mi
·
38 sec
14
Take the exit slight right toward Kennedy Boulevard
262 ft
·
6 sec
·
Kennedy Boulevard
15
Continue on 30th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
30th Street
16
Turn left onto John F Kennedy Boulevard
295 ft
·
17 sec
·
John F Kennedy Boulevard
17
Continue on John F. Kennedy Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
18
Turn right onto 47th Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
47th Street
19
At the end of the road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bergenline Avenue
20
Turn right onto 45th Street
66 ft
·
3 sec
·
45th Street
21
Arrive at your destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.89 one way
$9.78 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.36 | $10.71 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.72 | $11.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.51 | $13.03 |
Estimated Tolls: $16.00
Lincoln Tunnel
$16.00
New Jersey Turnpike
$0.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$16
Total
$21
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Union City, NJ
Afternoon in Union City on Friday
Local time
1:24 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
42m 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 Union City, NJ covers 29.5 miles and takes about 42m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Main Street, I 287 South, I 95. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.7 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 $4.89 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.
The drive from Metuchen, NJ to Union City, NJ is easy. At 42m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Metuchen, NJ to Union City, NJ is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Metuchen, NJ to Union City, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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