Origin
Monroe, NJ
Night in Monroe on Friday
Local time
9:53 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Monroe, NJ to Union City, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
30.3 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Monroe, NJ
Garrison Gao
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Monroe, NJ to Union City, NJ covers 30.3 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NJ 3, Christopher Columbus Highway, US 46 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.5 miles on NJ 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.02 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 30.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 40m highway drive covering 30.3 miles, with most of the trip on NJ 3 and Christopher Columbus Highway. The longest continuous stretch is about 10.5 miles on NJ 3.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
NJ 3 is the longest continuous segment at about 10.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 3 and Christopher Columbus Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 30.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward I 80 East: Smith Road, New York City
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 41A
Toward I 80 East: Smith Road, New York City
8
4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 80 East: New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 41A
Toward I 80 East: New York City
8
13.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
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 53
Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunn...
7
28.4 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Bou...
7
28.9 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward Kennedy Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Monroe, NJ and Union City, NJ, road signs point toward New York City and Clifton.
New York City
3.8 mi in
|
~7m
Clifton
13.7 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 3 | 10.5 mi | 11m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 7.3 mi | 7m |
| US 46 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Interstate 80 East | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| I 287 | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| South Jefferson Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| NJ 495 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 3
— 10.5 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Monroe, NJ and Union City, NJ.
1
Start on Cedar Knolls Road
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Cedar Knolls Road
2
Turn right onto South Jefferson Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Jefferson Road
Use the right lane.
3
Turn left onto NJ 10
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
NJ 10
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 287 North: Mahwah
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Merge onto I 287
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
I 287
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 41A
Toward I 80 East: Smith Road, New York City
Use the slight right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 41A
Toward I 80 East: New York City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on I 80E
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Interstate 80 East
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 80 East: Paterson, New York City
10
Merge onto I 80
7.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 53
Toward US 46 East: Wayne, Clifton, Lincoln Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto US 46
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
13
Continue on US 46
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn slight left onto NJ 3
11 mi
·
11 min
·
NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward NJ 495 East: Lincoln Tunnel, Kennedy Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Merge onto NJ 495
0.3 mi
·
24 sec
·
NJ 495
17
Take the exit
263 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Kennedy Boulevard
Use the slight right lane.
18
Continue on 30th Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
30th Street
19
Turn left onto CR 501
296 ft
·
16 sec
·
John F Kennedy Boulevard
20
Continue on CR 501
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
21
Turn right onto 47th Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
47th Street
22
At end of road, turn right onto Bergenline Avenue
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Bergenline Avenue
23
Turn right onto 45th Street
64 ft
·
2 sec
·
45th Street
24
Arrive at destination
45th Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.02 one way
$10.05 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.50 | $11.00 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.88 | $11.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.69 | $13.38 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.45 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Night in Union City on Friday
Local time
9:53 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
22 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
40m 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 Monroe, NJ to Union City, NJ covers 30.3 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are NJ 3, Christopher Columbus Highway, US 46. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.1 miles from Monroe, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.02 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 is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 30.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Monroe, NJ and Union City, NJ, road signs point toward New York City and Clifton.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Thomas Edison National Historical Park. There are 4 parks within detour distance of this route.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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