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Trip from Newark, NJ to Dayton, NJ

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

52m

Distance

36.9 mi

59 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 48m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 50m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Dayton, NJ, NJ

Dayton, NJ

Tashaud Bullock

Trip Overview

The drive from Newark, NJ to Dayton, NJ covers 36.9 miles and takes about 52m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on New Jersey Turnpike, US 1, McCarter Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27 miles on New Jersey Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.12 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 36.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

52m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 52m highway drive covering 36.9 miles, with most of the trip on New Jersey Turnpike and US 1. The longest continuous stretch is about 27 miles on New Jersey Turnpike.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 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 27 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 16 decision points packed into just 36.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.

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 16 key points

These 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
6
5.4 mi into trip | ~11m in

Keep slight left 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
32.9 mi into trip | ~43m in | Exit 8A

Take the exit onto Exit 8A toward NJ 32: Jamesburg, Cranbury

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 8A Toward NJ 32: Jamesburg, Cranbury
8
33.6 mi into trip | ~45m in

Keep slight right at fork toward CR 535: Cranbury, South Brunswick

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward CR 535: Cranbury, South Brunswick

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 Dayton, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South: Trenton, Cranbury, Cr 535: Cranbury and Brunswick.

Njtp South: Trenton

5.4 mi in | ~11m

Cranbury

32.9 mi in | ~43m | via Exit 8A

Cr 535: Cranbury

33.6 mi in | ~45m

Brunswick

33.6 mi in | ~45m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
New Jersey Turnpike 27 mi 31m
US 1 1.7 mi 2m
McCarter Highway 1.5 mi 3m
NJ 81 1.1 mi 2m
Georges Road 1 mi 2m
Forsgate Drive 0.8 mi 1m
Exit 8A 0.8 mi 1m
Mulberry Street 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: New Jersey Turnpike — 27 mi, about 31m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and Dayton, 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 left at fork

0.4 mi · 38 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
10

Merge onto I 95; NJTP

27 mi · 31 min · New Jersey Turnpike
11

Take the exit onto Exit 8A

0.8 mi · 1 min · Exit 8A
Exit 8A Toward NJ 32: Jamesburg, Cranbury Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward CR 535: Cranbury, South Brunswick Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn left onto CR 535

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Cranbury-South River Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto NJ 32

0.8 mi · 1 min · Forsgate Drive
15

Turn slight right

0.1 mi · 25 sec
Toward US 130 North: New Brunswick
16

Merge onto US 130

0.6 mi · 47 sec · US 130
Use the left / straight lanes.
17

Take the exit

312 ft · 8 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
18

Continue on CR 697

1.0 mi · 2 min · Georges Road
19

Turn right

45 ft · 6 sec
20

Turn left

176 ft · 16 sec
21

Turn left

30 ft · 2 sec
22

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 18.5 mi from Newark, NJ · 26m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

18 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Somerset, NJ

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.5 miles from Newark, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Dayton, NJ

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Dayton, NJ if you are unfamiliar with the area.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.12 one way

$12.24 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.70 $13.40
premium $4.93 $7.16 $14.31
diesel $5.61 $8.15 $16.29

Estimated Tolls: $3.78

New Jersey Turnpike (27 mi) $3.78

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$4

Total

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.1 0 $3.87 $1.77
Efficient EV 9.2 0 $3.23 $1.48
EV Truck/SUV 14.8 0 $5.17 $2.36

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (69% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Newark, NJ

Night in Newark on Thursday

Local time

10:56 PM

EDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Dayton, NJ

Night in Dayton on Thursday

Local time

10:56 PM

EDT

Current temp

71°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

10 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

52m 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 Dayton, NJ covers 36.9 miles and takes about 52m 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 18.5 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 $6.12 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 16 decision points packed into just 36.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.
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 Dayton, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South: Trenton, Cranbury, Cr 535: Cranbury and Brunswick.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area. There are 4 parks within detour distance of this route.

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Return Trip

Dayton, NJ to Newark, NJ

Plan the drive back the other way.

37.8 mi 53m

Explore more options from Newark, NJ or browse trips ending in Dayton, NJ.

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