Origin
Palisades Park, NJ
Afternoon in Palisades Park on Saturday
Local time
4:05 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palisades Park, 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
32m
Distance
21.5 mi
35 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palisades Park, NJ
Jonny M
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
The drive from Palisades Park, NJ to Union, NJ covers 21.5 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur, Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway, Garden State Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.2 miles on New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.56 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur | 9.2 mi | 12m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 5.2 mi | 6m |
| Garden State Parkway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Broad Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| US 46 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway Tolls | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Columbia Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur
— 9.2 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palisades Park, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on Broad Avenue
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Broad Avenue
2
Turn right onto West Columbia Avenue
370 ft
·
6 sec
·
West Columbia Avenue
Toward US 46 West
3
Take the ramp
410 ft
·
11 sec
Toward US 46 West
4
Merge onto US 46
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
US 46
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 95 South, I 80 West: NJ Turnpike, Teaneck Road
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork
340 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 95 South, I 80 West: NJ Turnpike
Use the slight left lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.9 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Newark
Use the straight lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
11
Merge onto I 95
7.2 mi
·
9 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur
12
Take the exit
1.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 14
Toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
14
Merge onto I 78
379 ft
·
4 sec
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway Tolls
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78
5.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 52
Toward GSP: Garden State Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP South
Use the slight right lane.
18
Merge onto GSP
0.6 mi
·
50 sec
·
Garden State Parkway
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Turn right onto CR 630
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
Use the right lane.
21
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 12.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 80 West: NJ Turnpike, Teaneck Road
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 I 95 South, I 80 West: NJ Turnpike, Tean...
9
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, I 80 West: NJ Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 95 South, I 80 West: NJ Turnpike
8
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Newark
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Newark
8
2.2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 South, NJTP South: Trenton
8
12.5 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
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 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Hollan...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.56 one way
$7.13 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.90 | $7.81 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.17 | $8.34 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.75 | $9.49 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.33
New Jersey Turnpike
(9.2 mi)
$1.29
Garden State Parkway
(0.6 mi)
$0.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 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 | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
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
Union, NJ
Afternoon in Union on Saturday
Local time
4:05 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Mostly Sunny
E 2 to 10 mph
1% 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
5 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
32m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
21.5 mi in 32m, mostly highway — 9.2 mi of that is on New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur.
72% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.2 mi on New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur and Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 20 decision points packed into just 21.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Palisades Park, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp South: Newark, Njtp South: Trenton and Gsp South.
Njtp South: Newark
1.3 mi in
|
~2m
Njtp South: Trenton
2.2 mi in
|
~4m
Gsp South
19.8 mi in
|
~28m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 21.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.2 miles on New Jersey Turnpike Western Spur. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.33 in tolls one way, starting with New Jersey Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Union, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park (4 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Union, NJ before heading back.
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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