Trip from Ocean City, NJ to Lakewood, NJ

Drive Time

1h 26m

Distance

66.3 mi

107 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$11

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 19m ★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 39m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 22m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Ocean City, NJ, NJ

Ocean City, NJ

Prathyusha Mettupalle

Downtown Lakewood, NJ, NJ

Lakewood, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Ocean City, NJ to Lakewood, NJ covers 66.3 miles and takes about 1h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Garden State Parkway, Lakewood Road, River Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 53.5 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.97 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

33.1 miles from Ocean City, NJ

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 42m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 1h 26m highway drive covering 66.3 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and Lakewood Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 53.5 miles on Garden State Parkway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Garden State Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 53.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Lakewood Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.2 miles in near GSP / Garden State Parkway.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 8 significant decision points across 66.3 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.4 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 57.7 miles (US 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
4.2 mi into trip | ~8m in | GSP / Garden State Parkway

Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
27.4 mi into trip | ~35m in | GSP / Garden State Parkway

Keep slight left at fork onto GSP / Garden State Parkway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
8
57.7 mi into trip | ~1h 11m in | US 9

Take the exit onto US 9 toward US 9 North, CR 571, NJ 166: Lakewood

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 83 Toward US 9 North, CR 571, NJ 166: Lakewood
7
58.1 mi into trip | ~1h 11m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Toms River

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward Toms River
6
58.5 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in | NJ 166 / Lakewood Road

Turn right onto NJ 166 / Lakewood Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.

Towns Along This Route

Between Ocean City, NJ and Lakewood, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Cr 571 and Toms River.

Gsp Toll North

3.8 mi in | ~7m

Cr 571

57.7 mi in | ~1h 11m | via US 9

Toms River

58.1 mi in | ~1h 11m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Garden State Parkway 53.5 mi 1h 2m
Lakewood Road 4.3 mi 6m
River Avenue 2.6 mi 4m
East 9th Street 1.7 mi 3m
NJ 52 1.5 mi 2m
Madison Avenue 0.9 mi 1m
Laurel Drive 0.6 mi 1m
US 9 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Garden State Parkway — 53.5 mi, about 1h 2m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Ocean City, NJ and Lakewood, NJ.

1

Start on East 9th Street

1.7 mi · 3 min · East 9th Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2

Continue on NJ 52

1.5 mi · 2 min · NJ 52
Use the straight lane.
3

Continue on Laurel Drive

0.6 mi · 1 min · Laurel Drive
Use the left / straight lanes.
4

Take the ramp

201 ft · 4 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
5

Continue on this road

0.3 mi · 44 sec · this road
Toward GSP Toll North
6

Merge onto GSP

23 mi · 26 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto GSP

30 mi · 35 min · Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
8

Take the exit onto US 9

0.4 mi · 34 sec · US 9
Exit 83 Toward US 9 North, CR 571, NJ 166: Lakewood Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 12 sec
Toward Toms River Use the straight lane.
10

Turn straight onto Lomell Lane

0.2 mi · 30 sec · Lomell Lane
11

Turn right onto NJ 166

4.3 mi · 6 min · Lakewood Road
Use the straight lane.
12

Continue on US 9

2.6 mi · 4 min · River Avenue
13

Continue on US 9

0.9 mi · 1 min · Madison Avenue
14

Turn right onto 8th Street

46 ft · 2 sec · 8th Street
15

Arrive at destination

8th Street

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 33.1 miles from Ocean City, NJ, or about 42m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 53.5 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 66.3 miles or 1h 26m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 33.1 miles or 42m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 9m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lakewood, NJ than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Ocean City, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Ocean City, NJ

This is one driving day of about 66.3 miles and 1h 26m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Ocean City, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Garden State Parkway for about 53.5 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 33.1 mi from Ocean City, NJ · 42m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

33 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Staten Island, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 66.3 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 33.1 miles from Ocean City, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Lakewood, NJ

The final approach into Lakewood, NJ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Lakewood, NJ.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$10.97 one way

$21.94 round trip

$4.20/gal 25.4 MPG avg 23 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.60 $12.00 $24.01
premium $4.92 $12.85 $25.70
diesel $5.64 $14.73 $29.46

Estimated Tolls: $3.21

Garden State Parkway (53.5 mi) $3.21

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$11

Tolls

$3

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$39–$64

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 23.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 19.9 0 $6.96 $3.18
Efficient EV 16.6 0 $5.80 $2.65
EV Truck/SUV 26.5 0 $9.28 $4.24

Gas CO2

23 kg

EV CO2

8 kg (65% 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.

Forecast data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Ocean City, NJ

Afternoon in Ocean City on Monday

Local time

1:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

57°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lakewood, NJ

Afternoon in Lakewood on Monday

Local time

1:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

56°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

1 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

1h 26m 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 Ocean City, NJ to Lakewood, NJ covers 66.3 miles and takes about 1h 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, Lakewood Road, River 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 33.1 miles from Ocean City, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $10.97 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 demanding drive. With 8 significant decision points across 66.3 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 27.4 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 57.7 miles (US 9): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Ocean City, NJ and Lakewood, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Cr 571 and Toms River.

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