Origin
Ocean City, NJ
Late night in Ocean City on Saturday
Local time
4:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ocean City, NJ to Toms River, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
56.3 mi
91 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 5m
★
6 AM
1h 10m
8 AM
1h 21m
10 AM
1h 14m
12 PM
1h 13m
3 PM
1h 15m
5 PM
1h 21m
8 PM
1h 7m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ocean City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Toms River, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Ocean City, NJ to Toms River, NJ covers 56.3 miles and takes about 1h 10m 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, East 9th Street, NJ 52 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 51.4 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.33 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 56.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 1h 10m highway drive covering 56.3 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and East 9th Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 51.4 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 51.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and East 9th Street. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.2 miles in near GSP / Garden State Parkway.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 56.3 miles you will encounter 8 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: 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 55.6 miles: 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 pointsThese 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
55.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
Take the exit toward Lakehurst Road, Toms River
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 81
Toward Lakehurst Road, Toms River
6
56 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
|
Irons Street
Turn left onto Irons Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
56.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
|
NJ 166 / North Main Street
Turn right onto NJ 166 / North Main Street
Navigation decision point
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 Ocean City, NJ to Toms River, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Gsp Toll North along the way.
Gsp Toll North
3.8 mi in
|
~7m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 51.4 mi | 59m |
| East 9th Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| NJ 52 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Laurel Drive | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Water Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Irons Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Lakehurst Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 51.4 mi, about 59m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ocean City, NJ and Toms River, 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
28 mi
·
32 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 81
Toward Lakehurst Road, Toms River
Use the slight right lane.
9
Continue on Lakehurst Road
469 ft
·
10 sec
·
Lakehurst Road
10
Continue on CR 527
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
West Water Street
11
Turn left onto Irons Street
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Irons Street
Use the left lane.
12
Continue on Irons Street
268 ft
·
16 sec
·
Irons Street
13
Turn right onto NJ 166
287 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Main Street
14
Turn left
78 ft
·
5 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 28.1 mi from Ocean City, NJ · 36m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.1 miles from Ocean City, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Toms River, NJ
The final approach into Toms River, NJ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.33 one way
$18.67 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $10.22 | $20.45 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.92 | $21.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.43 | $24.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.08
Garden State Parkway
(51.4 mi)
$3.08
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$3
Total
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.91 | $2.70 |
| Efficient EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.93 | $2.25 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.5 | 0 | $7.88 | $3.60 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Destination
Toms River, NJ
Late night in Toms River on Saturday
Local time
4:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
46°F
Bass River, NJ
28 mi in
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
3 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 10m 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 Toms River, NJ covers 56.3 miles and takes about 1h 10m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, East 9th Street, NJ 52. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 28.1 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 $9.33 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 56.3 miles you will encounter 8 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: 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 55.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Ocean City, NJ to Toms River, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Gsp Toll North along the way.
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 EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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