Origin
Palisades Park, NJ
Morning in Palisades Park on Saturday
Local time
9:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Palisades Park, 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
20m
Distance
13 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 24m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 22m
5 PM
0h 24m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Palisades Park, NJ
Jonny M
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 13-mile drive from Palisades Park to Clifton, New Jersey, is easily manageable in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for a single-day trip. Primarily utilizing US 46 and NJ 19, this route is heavily highway-focused, with 85% of the journey on higher-speed roads. With a modest fuel cost of around $2, this is a budget-friendly option for a quick local excursion within the Northeast region. Given its brevity, you won't need an overnight stay; it's a straightforward trip designed for efficiency.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 20m. Total distance: 13 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (85%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-centric experience on this route, with the majority of your 13 miles on fast-paced roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 10.7 miles along US 46, offering a consistent driving pace. While the profile is predominantly highway, the inclusion of Van Houten Avenue and NJ 19 suggests some transitions as you navigate between these main arteries. This isn't a winding scenic byway, but rather a direct connection designed for quick travel between these two New Jersey locales.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 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 10.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 46 and Van Houten Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.4 miles in near West Columbia Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
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 13 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (West Columbia Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Columbia Avenue
Turn right onto West Columbia Avenue toward US 46 West
Navigation decision point
Toward US 46 West
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 46
Merge onto US 46
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
9.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 46
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
11.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward CR 509 South: Broad Street, Clifton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CR 509 South: Broad Street, Clifton
5
11.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
NJ 19; CR 509
Merge onto NJ 19; CR 509
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 46 | 10.7 mi | 14m |
| Van Houten Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| NJ 19 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Broad Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| St James Place | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Donna Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Holly Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 46
— 10.7 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Palisades Park, NJ and Clifton, 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
5.1 mi
·
7 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Continue on US 46
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
US 46
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto US 46
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward CR 509 South: Broad Street, Clifton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto NJ 19; CR 509
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
NJ 19; CR 509
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto CR 614
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Van Houten Avenue
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Clifton Avenue
11
Turn left onto St James Place
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
St James Place
12
Turn right onto Donna Drive
522 ft
·
28 sec
·
Donna Drive
13
Turn left onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
14
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.16 one way
$4.31 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.36 | $4.72 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.52 | $5.04 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.87 | $5.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.37 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.82 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
9:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
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
8 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
20m 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 Palisades Park, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 13 miles and takes about 20m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 46, Van Houten Avenue, NJ 19. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.5 miles from Palisades Park, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.16 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 13 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 20m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (West Columbia Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (US 46): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (US 46): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Palisades Park, NJ to Clifton, 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 Gateway National Recreation Area. 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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