Origin
North Caldwell, NJ
Morning in North Caldwell on Saturday
Local time
7:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Caldwell, NJ to Clifton, 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
7.2 mi
12 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Caldwell, NJ
Joel Zar
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from North Caldwell, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 7.2 miles and takes about 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 46, Mountain Avenue, West Lindsley Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 1.5 miles on US 46. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.19 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 7.2 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (20%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 15m drive with frequent turns across 7.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 46 is the longest continuous segment at about 1.5 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 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Greenbrook Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 7.2 miles you will encounter 12 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: near the start (East Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 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
5
4.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
US 46
Merge onto US 46
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
5.5 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, Passaic
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton...
5
5.6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CR 623 / Grove Street
At end of road, turn right onto CR 623 / Grove Street
Navigation decision point
5
5.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CR 614 / Van Houten Avenue
Turn left onto CR 614 / Van Houten Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 Clifton, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Passaic along the way.
Passaic
5.5 mi in
|
~11m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 46 | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Mountain Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| West Lindsley Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Van Houten Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Francisco Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Notch Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Ridge Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 46
— 1.5 mi, about 1m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Caldwell, NJ and Clifton, 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
1.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Mountain Avenue
4
Continue on CR 527; CR 604
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
West Lindsley Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on (612)
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Francisco Avenue
6
Turn left onto (641)
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Ridge Road
7
Continue on CR 631
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Long Hill Road
8
Turn straight
300 ft
·
13 sec
9
Turn straight onto CR 633
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Notch Road
10
Take the ramp
193 ft
·
5 sec
11
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
this road
12
Merge onto US 46
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Take the exit
452 ft
·
16 sec
Toward Grove Street, Van Houten Avenue, Clifton, Passaic
Use the slight right lane.
14
At end of road, turn right onto CR 623
179 ft
·
9 sec
·
Grove Street
15
Turn left onto CR 614
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Houten Avenue
Use the left lane.
16
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Clifton Avenue
17
Turn left onto St James Place
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
St James Place
18
Turn right onto Donna Drive
522 ft
·
28 sec
·
Donna Drive
19
Turn left onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
20
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.19 one way
$2.39 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.31 | $2.61 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.40 | $2.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 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 | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.63 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
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
Clifton, NJ
Morning in Clifton on Saturday
Local time
7:32 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
SW 18 mph
15% 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
21 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
15m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from North Caldwell, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 7.2 miles and takes about 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 46, Mountain Avenue, West Lindsley Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.6 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 $1.19 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 7.2 miles you will encounter 12 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: near the start (East Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from North Caldwell, NJ to Clifton, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Passaic along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Thomas Edison 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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