Origin
North Caldwell, NJ
Morning in North Caldwell on Saturday
Local time
10:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Caldwell, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
22.2 mi
36 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Caldwell, NJ
Joel Zar
Elizabeth, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from North Caldwell, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ covers 22.2 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NJ 21, NJ 3, US 1 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9 miles on NJ 21. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 35m. Total distance: 22.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 35m highway drive covering 22.2 miles, with most of the trip on NJ 21 and NJ 3. The longest continuous stretch is about 9 miles on NJ 21.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
NJ 21 is the longest continuous segment at about 9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 21 and NJ 3. 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
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (CR 527 / Mountain Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 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
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 527 / Mountain Avenue
Turn left onto CR 527 / Mountain Avenue
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.
6
9.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
5
9.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
NJ 21
Merge onto NJ 21
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 21 | 9 mi | 14m |
| NJ 3 | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| US 1 | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Mountain Avenue | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| West Lindsley Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Francisco Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| US 46 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Notch Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 21
— 9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Caldwell, NJ and Elizabeth, 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
0.6 mi
·
42 sec
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn slight left onto NJ 3
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward NJ 21 South: Newark
Use the slight right lane.
15
Merge onto NJ 21
9.0 mi
·
14 min
·
NJ 21
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Merge onto US 1; US 9
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
US 1; US 9
17
Continue on US 1; US 9
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
US 1; US 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn right onto East Jersey Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
East Jersey Street
19
Turn right
34 ft
·
2 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.68 one way
$7.36 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.03 | $8.06 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.31 | $8.61 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.90 | $9.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.33 | $1.07 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.94 | $0.89 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Elizabeth, NJ
Morning in Elizabeth on Saturday
Local time
10:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
W 17 mph
18% 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
22 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
35m 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 Elizabeth, NJ covers 22.2 miles and takes about 35m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are NJ 21, NJ 3, US 1. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.1 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 $3.68 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 11 decision points packed into just 22.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (East Greenbrook Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (CR 527 / Mountain Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 4.1 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from North Caldwell, NJ to Elizabeth, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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