Origin
North Caldwell, NJ
Afternoon in North Caldwell on Saturday
Local time
2:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Caldwell, NJ to Paterson, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
13m
Distance
7.5 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 16m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 14m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 16m
8 PM
0h 13m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Caldwell, NJ
Joel Zar
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from North Caldwell, NJ to Paterson, NJ covers 7.5 miles and takes about 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Christopher Columbus Highway, Mountain Avenue, Union Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 2.8 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.24 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Mountain Avenue | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Union Boulevard | 1 mi | 1m |
| Montclair Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Grand Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Greenbrook Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Pompton Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Christopher Columbus Highway
— 2.8 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Caldwell, NJ and Paterson, NJ.
1
Start on this road
113 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East Greenbrook Road
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
East Greenbrook Road
3
Turn left onto CR 527
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Mountain Avenue
4
Turn sharp left onto NJ 23
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Pompton Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Turn right onto Montclair Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Montclair Avenue
6
At end of road, turn right onto CR 631
311 ft
·
13 sec
·
Main Street
7
Turn left onto CR 646
311 ft
·
6 sec
·
Union Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on CR 646
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Union Boulevard
Use the straight lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 80 East
10
Merge onto I 80
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 57B
Toward NJ 19: Downtown, Paterson
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto NJ 19
474 ft
·
5 sec
·
NJ 19
13
Take the exit
313 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
Toward Grand Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Turn right onto CR 638
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Grand Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn left onto CR 509
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn right onto CR 648
453 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
18
Turn left onto Colt Street
42 ft
·
3 sec
·
Colt Street
19
Arrive at destination
Colt Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 6.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
1.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
NJ 23 / Pompton Avenue
Turn sharp left onto NJ 23 / Pompton Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
CR 646 / Union Avenue
Turn left onto CR 646 / Union Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
6.4 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward NJ 19: Downtown, Paterson
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 57B
Toward NJ 19: Downtown, Paterson
8
6.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Grand Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Grand Street
7
6.9 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
CR 638 / Grand Street
Turn right onto CR 638 / Grand Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.24 one way
$2.49 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.36 | $2.72 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.45 | $2.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.66 | $3.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.3 | 0 | $0.79 | $0.36 |
| Efficient EV | 1.9 | 0 | $0.66 | $0.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Paterson, NJ
Afternoon in Paterson on Saturday
Local time
2:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Mostly Sunny
SE 2 to 10 mph
1% chance
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
13m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
7.5 mi in 13m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.8 mi on Christopher Columbus Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near NJ 23 / Pompton Avenue.
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 16 decision points packed into just 7.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 13m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (NJ 23 / Pompton Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (CR 646 / Union Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 North Caldwell, NJ to Paterson, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Del Water Gap along the way.
Del Water Gap
6.7 mi in
|
~12m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 13m. Total distance: 7.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.8 miles on Christopher Columbus Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Paterson, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (NJ 23 / Pompton Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (CR 646 / Union Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park (4 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Paterson, NJ before heading back.
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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