Origin
Newark, NJ
Late night in Newark on Saturday
Local time
3:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, NJ to Garfield, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 16m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 17m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 17m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Garfield, NJ
C. M.
Trip Overview
This short 11.9-mile drive from Newark to Garfield, New Jersey, will take you about 15 minutes to complete. With a low estimated fuel cost of $2, it's a very budget-friendly trip. Since it's such a quick journey, it's ideal as a single-day trip and doesn't require an overnight stay. The route sticks to local streets, primarily using McCarter Highway and Washington Street before transitioning to Outwater Lane. Given its short distance and local road nature, this drive is best suited for those who don't mind navigating through more urbanized areas. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 11.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 11.9-mile journey, with a 0% highway share. The route mostly follows surface streets, so you'll experience a more urban driving environment. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be approximately 9.8 miles along McCarter Highway, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before you start making more frequent turns. This drive is characterized by its directness, taking you through populated areas rather than open highways. Be prepared for regular intersections and traffic signals throughout the trip.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
McCarter Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 9.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near Broad Street.
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 11.9 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.8 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (NJ 21 / McCarter Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn right
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NJ 21 / McCarter Highway
Turn left onto NJ 21 / McCarter Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
11.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Ackerman Avenue, Botany Village, Garfield
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 13
Toward Ackerman Avenue, Botany Village, Garfiel...
6
11.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Ackerman Avenue
Turn right onto Ackerman Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Newark, NJ to Garfield, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Botany Village along the way.
Botany Village
11.1 mi in
|
~13m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| McCarter Highway | 9.8 mi | 10m |
| Washington Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Outwater Lane | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Broad Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Clay Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ackerman Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
McCarter Highway
— 9.8 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and Garfield, NJ.
1
Start on CR 510
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Market Street
2
Turn right
217 ft
·
7 sec
3
Turn straight onto Washington Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto Broad Street
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Broad Street
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right
150 ft
·
5 sec
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on CR 506 Spur
518 ft
·
13 sec
·
Clay Street
7
Turn left onto NJ 21
9.8 mi
·
10 min
·
McCarter Highway
Use the left lane.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 13
Toward Ackerman Avenue, Botany Village, Garfield
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn right onto Ackerman Avenue
421 ft
·
11 sec
·
Ackerman Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on Outwater Lane
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Outwater Lane
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn left
25 ft
·
1 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.97 one way
$3.95 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.16 | $4.32 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.31 | $4.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Garfield, NJ
Late night in Garfield on Saturday
Local time
3:59 AM
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
14 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
15m 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 Garfield, NJ covers 11.9 miles and takes about 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are McCarter Highway, Washington Street, Outwater Lane. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.9 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 $1.97 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 11.9 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.8 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (NJ 21 / McCarter Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Newark, NJ to Garfield, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Botany Village along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area. 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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