Origin
Newark, NJ
Night in Newark on Friday
Local time
11:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, NJ to Carteret, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
12.9 mi
21 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carteret, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 12.9-mile drive from Newark, NJ, to Carteret, NJ, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 24 minutes to complete. Primarily a highway-focused experience, you'll be navigating major arteries like the New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $2, this trip is an easy addition to your travel plans without requiring an overnight stay. The route stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey, making it a straightforward local journey. It’s a practical option for a quick transit or a specific destination within this corridor.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 24m. Total distance: 12.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m 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
Expect a highway-centric experience on this 12.9-mile journey, with 61% of the drive utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5 miles along the New Jersey Turnpike, providing a consistent speed for a significant portion of the trip. You'll also be on US 1 and McCarter Highway, which may offer slightly different driving dynamics as you progress. This route is characterized by its efficiency and directness, minimizing local traffic interruptions for the most part.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
New Jersey Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Mulberry Street.
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 15 decision points packed into just 12.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Mulberry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Mulberry Street
Turn right onto Mulberry Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
5.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
7
5.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
8
10.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Carteret, Rahway
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 12
Toward Carteret, Rahway
8
11.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Carteret, West Carteret, Rahway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Carteret, West Carteret, Rahway
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Newark, NJ and Carteret, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South: Trenton and Rahway.
Njtp South: Trenton
5.4 mi in
|
~11m
Rahway
10.8 mi in
|
~18m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike | 5 mi | 6m |
| US 1 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| McCarter Highway | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| NJ 81 | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Mulberry Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Washington Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Roosevelt Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Linden Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike
— 5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and Carteret, NJ.
1
Start on CR 510
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Market Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn right onto Mulberry Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Mulberry Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn slight right onto NJ 21
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
McCarter Highway
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto US 1; US 9
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
US 1; US 9
5
Continue on US 1; US 9
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
US 1; US 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
7
Continue on NJ 81
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
NJ 81
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
315 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
10
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
this road
11
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
12
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Exit 12
Toward Carteret, Rahway
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork
237 ft
·
5 sec
Toward Carteret, West Carteret, Rahway
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight left at fork
527 ft
·
14 sec
Toward Carteret
15
Turn left onto CR 602
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Roosevelt Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Continue on CR 604
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Avenue
17
Turn left onto Matthew Avenue
483 ft
·
23 sec
·
Matthew Avenue
18
Turn right onto Linden Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
Linden Street
19
Turn right onto Carteret Avenue
250 ft
·
12 sec
·
Carteret Avenue
20
Continue on Carteret Avenue
96 ft
·
8 sec
·
Carteret Avenue
21
Arrive at destination
Carteret Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.14 one way
$4.28 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.34 | $4.68 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.50 | $5.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.70
New Jersey Turnpike
(5 mi)
$0.70
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$1
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Carteret, NJ
Night in Carteret on Friday
Local time
11:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
70°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
24m 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 Newark, NJ to Carteret, NJ covers 12.9 miles and takes about 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are New Jersey Turnpike, US 1, McCarter Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.5 miles from Newark, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.14 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 15 decision points packed into just 12.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Mulberry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Newark, NJ and Carteret, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South: Trenton and Rahway.
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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