Origin
North Caldwell, NJ
Morning in North Caldwell on Saturday
Local time
6:06 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Caldwell, NJ to Union, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Caldwell, NJ
Joel Zar
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
The drive from North Caldwell, NJ to Union, NJ covers 17.8 miles and takes about 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Essex Freeway, Garden State Parkway, Roseland Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6 miles on Essex Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 30m highway drive covering 17.8 miles, with most of the trip on Essex Freeway and Garden State Parkway. The longest continuous stretch is about 6 miles on Essex Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 23 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 6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Essex Freeway and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Greenbrook Road.
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 17 decision points packed into just 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (CR 527; CR 611 / Eagle Rock Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Greenbrook Road
Turn left onto East Greenbrook Road
Navigation decision point
6
3.8 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
CR 527; CR 611 / Eagle Rock Avenue
At end of road, turn right onto CR 527; CR 611 / Eagle Rock Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
11.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Harrison Street, Clinton Street, East Orange
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 11A
Toward Harrison Street, Clinton Street, East Or...
6
13.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Oraton Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto Oraton Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
17.2 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward Vauxhall Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between North Caldwell, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Orange and Gsp Toll South.
Orange
11.2 mi in
|
~18m
Gsp Toll South
13.7 mi in
|
~23m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 6 mi | 7m |
| Garden State Parkway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Roseland Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Smull Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Livingston Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Freeway Drive East | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Oraton Parkway | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Mountain Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Caldwell, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on this road
113 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto East Greenbrook Road
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
East Greenbrook Road
3
Turn right onto CR 527
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Mountain Avenue
4
Turn right onto Smull Avenue
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Smull Avenue
5
At end of road, turn left onto CR 506
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
6
Turn right onto CR 527
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Roseland Avenue
7
At end of road, turn right onto CR 527; CR 611
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Eagle Rock Avenue
Use the right lane.
8
Turn left onto CR 527
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Livingston Avenue
Use the straight lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 280 East: Newark
10
Merge onto I 280
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 11A
Toward Harrison Street, Clinton Street, East Orange
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto Freeway Drive East
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Freeway Drive East
13
Turn right onto South Oraton Parkway
0.4 mi
·
42 sec
·
South Oraton Parkway
14
Continue on Whittlesey Avenue
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
Whittlesey Avenue
15
Turn straight onto Maybaum Avenue
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Maybaum Avenue
16
Continue on Oraton Parkway
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Oraton Parkway
Use the straight lane.
17
Keep slight right at fork onto Oraton Parkway
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Oraton Parkway
Use the straight lane.
18
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward GSP Toll South
19
Merge onto GSP
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Turn right onto CR 630
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
Use the right lane.
22
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.86 one way
$5.73 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $3.22 | $6.45 |
| premium | $4.95 | $3.47 | $6.94 |
| diesel | $5.98 | $4.19 | $8.38 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.20
Garden State Parkway
(3.3 mi)
$0.20
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Union, NJ
Morning in Union on Saturday
Local time
6:06 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
13 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
30m 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 North Caldwell, NJ to Union, NJ covers 17.8 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Essex Freeway, Garden State Parkway, Roseland Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.9 miles from North Caldwell, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.86 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 17 decision points packed into just 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (CR 527; CR 611 / Eagle Rock Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between North Caldwell, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Orange and Gsp Toll South.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park. 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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