Origin
Paterson, NJ
Afternoon in Paterson on Saturday
Local time
2:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Paterson, NJ to Milford, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 29m
Distance
63.6 mi
102 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 23m
★
6 AM
1h 30m
8 AM
1h 44m
10 AM
1h 35m
12 PM
1h 33m
3 PM
1h 35m
5 PM
1h 43m
8 PM
1h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Milford, NJ
Alexa V. Mato
Trip Overview
The drive from Paterson, NJ to Milford, NJ covers 63.6 miles and takes about 1h 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 287, Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway, US 46 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.2 miles on I 287. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.54 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 287 | 19.2 mi | 23m |
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 14.2 mi | 16m |
| US 46 | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| Pittstown Road | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| Everittstown Road | 4 mi | 7m |
| Milford - Mount Pleasant Road | 2.6 mi | 6m |
| Little York - Mount Pleasant Road | 2.3 mi | 5m |
| Interstate 80 West | 2.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 287
— 19.2 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Paterson, NJ and Milford, NJ.
1
Start on Colt Street
216 ft
·
17 sec
·
Colt Street
2
Turn right onto Ellison Street
290 ft
·
13 sec
·
Ellison Street
3
Turn left onto Church Street
339 ft
·
20 sec
·
Church Street
4
Turn left onto Van Houten Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Van Houten Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Turn right onto CR 509
287 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
Use the right lane.
6
Turn slight left onto CR 509
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Broadway
7
Turn left onto CR 646
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Union Avenue
8
Continue on CR 646
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Union Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 46
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
US 46
Use the straight lane.
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 80 West: Dover, Del Water Gap
12
Continue on I 80W
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Interstate 80 West
Toward I 287: Morristown, Mahwah
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Keep slight left at fork
1.9 mi
·
2 min
Exit 43A
Toward I 287 South: Morristown
14
Merge onto I 287
19 mi
·
23 min
·
I 287
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 21B
Toward I 78 West: Easton, Pennsylvania
Use the slight right lane.
16
Merge onto I 78
14 mi
·
16 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 15
Toward NJ 173 East: Clinton, Pittstown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork
150 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Pittstown
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Turn left onto NJ 173; CR 513
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Pittstown Road
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto CR 513
4.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Everittstown Road
21
Turn right onto CR 519
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Little York - Mount Pleasant Road
22
Turn left onto CR 519
2.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Milford - Mount Pleasant Road
23
At end of road, turn right onto CR 519
519 ft
·
13 sec
·
Frenchtown Road
24
Turn left onto Bridge Street
30 ft
·
0 sec
·
Bridge Street
25
Arrive at destination
Bridge Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.8 miles from Paterson, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 215 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 50.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Van Houten Street
Turn left onto Van Houten Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CR 509 / Main Street
Turn right onto CR 509 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
8
35.8 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward I 78 West: Easton, Pennsylvania
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 21B
Toward I 78 West: Easton, Pennsylvania
8
50.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Take the exit toward NJ 173 East: Clinton, Pittstown
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.
Exit 15
Toward NJ 173 East: Clinton, Pittstown
8
50.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Pittstown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Pittstown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.54 one way
$21.09 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $11.55 | $23.10 |
| premium | $4.93 | $12.33 | $24.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.04 | $28.08 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.68 | $3.05 |
| Efficient EV | 15.9 | 0 | $5.56 | $2.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.4 | 0 | $8.90 | $4.07 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Milford, NJ
Afternoon in Milford on Saturday
Local time
2:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°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
17 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 29m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
63.6 mi in 1h 29m, mostly highway — 19.2 mi of that is on I 287.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.2 mi on I 287.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 287 and Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Van Houten Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 63.6 miles you will encounter 21 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 0.2 miles (Van Houten Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CR 509 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Paterson, NJ and Milford, NJ, road signs point toward Del Water Gap, Mahwah, Pennsylvania and Pittstown.
Del Water Gap
12.3 mi in
|
~16m
Mahwah
12.6 mi in
|
~17m
|
via I 80W
Pennsylvania
35.8 mi in
|
~45m
Pittstown
50.4 mi in
|
~1h 2m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 29m. Total distance: 63.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.2 miles on I 287. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Milford, 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 0.2 miles (Van Houten Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (CR 509 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 35.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Thomas Edison 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 Milford, 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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