Origin
Newark, NJ
Late night in Newark on Saturday
Local time
2:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newark, NJ to Wharton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
28.9 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wharton, NJ
Alexa V. Mato
Trip Overview
This 28.9-mile drive from Newark, NJ, to Wharton, NJ, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 38 minutes. It's a straightforward journey, making it ideal as a single-day excursion. With an estimated fuel cost of $5, this route is budget-friendly. You'll navigate through New Jersey, staying within the Northeast region. The profile is a mixed drive, suggesting a blend of different road types, so expect some variety as you travel the 28.9 miles. Given the short duration and minimal distance, no overnight stops are necessary.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 28.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive features a mixed profile, meaning you won't be on a single type of road for the entire 28.9 miles. Approximately 44% of the journey is on highways, including stretches on the Essex Freeway and Christopher Columbus Highway. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 12.5 miles on the Essex Freeway, offering a chance for consistent speed. As you transition towards Wharton, expect the character of the drive to change, likely incorporating more local roads like North Main Street, requiring adjustments in your driving pace.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Essex Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 12.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 28.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 280 West: Garden State Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 280 West: Garden State Parkway
6
14.5 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West, I 80 West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 280 West, I 80 West
7
27 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward NJ 15 South: Wharton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 34A
Toward NJ 15 South: Wharton
6
27.5 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
CR 642 / East Dewey Avenue
Turn right onto CR 642 / East Dewey Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
27.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
CR 634 Alt / Chegwidden Way
Turn left onto CR 634 Alt / Chegwidden Way
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 12.5 mi | 15m |
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 12 mi | 13m |
| North Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Raymond Boulevard | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Orange Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Lock Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| East Dewey Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Union Turnpike | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 12.5 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newark, NJ and Wharton, 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
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Washington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto Raymond Boulevard
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Raymond Boulevard
5
Continue on Lock Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Lock Street
6
Continue on Nesbitt Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Nesbitt Street
7
Turn left onto Orange Street
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Orange Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 280 West: Garden State Parkway
Use the left lane.
9
Merge onto I 280
13 mi
·
15 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 280 West, I 80 West
11
Merge onto I 80
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 34A
Toward NJ 15 South: Wharton
Use the right lane.
13
Turn straight onto NJ 15
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
West Union Turnpike
14
Turn right onto CR 642
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
East Dewey Avenue
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn left onto CR 634 Alt
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Chegwidden Way
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto CR 634
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
Use the left lane.
17
Arrive at destination
CR 634
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.79 one way
$9.58 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.25 | $10.50 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.60 | $11.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.38 | $12.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 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 | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.05 | $1.85 |
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
Wharton, NJ
Late night in Wharton on Saturday
Local time
2:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°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
18 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
38m 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 Wharton, NJ covers 28.9 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Essex Freeway, Christopher Columbus Highway, North Main Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.4 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 $4.79 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 12 decision points packed into just 28.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 14.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 27 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Newark, NJ to Wharton, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park. There are 5 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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