Origin
Pompton Lakes, NJ
Evening in Pompton Lakes on Friday
Local time
8:05 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Pompton Lakes, NJ to East Orange, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
21 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Pompton Lakes, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
East Orange, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Pompton Lakes to East Orange is 21 miles and takes about 28 minutes via NJ 23, Garden State Parkway, and US 46, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within New Jersey, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Given its short distance and highway focus, this route is ideal for a same-day journey, offering a straightforward connection between two points. You'll spend most of your time on major roadways, making it a functional drive rather than a scenic excursion. Consider this for a quick commute or a direct link between these two locations.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 28m. Total distance: 21 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m 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 highway-focused drive, with 94% of the route utilizing major roads. You'll encounter stretches on NJ 23, the Garden State Parkway, and US 46, offering a consistent driving experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 6.8 miles on NJ 23, allowing for a period of steady travel. The road primarily consists of well-maintained highways, designed for efficient travel between your starting and ending points. Expect a practical driving environment with minimal local road detours.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
NJ 23 is the longest continuous segment at about 6.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NJ 23 and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Lakeside Avenue.
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 13 decision points packed into just 21 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Lakeside Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (CR 511 ALT / Newark-Pompton Turnpike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (NJ 23): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lakeside Avenue
Turn left onto Lakeside Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CR 511 ALT / Newark-Pompton Turnpike
Turn left onto CR 511 ALT / Newark-Pompton Turnpike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
NJ 23
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 23
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
14.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
ramp to GSP Southbound
Take the exit onto ramp to GSP Southbound toward GSP Toll South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward GSP Toll South
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward East Orange
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 147
Toward East Orange
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Pompton Lakes, NJ and East Orange, NJ, road signs point toward Clifton and Gsp Toll South.
Clifton
9 mi in
|
~12m
Gsp Toll South
14.4 mi in
|
~18m
|
via ramp to GSP Southbound
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NJ 23 | 6.8 mi | 8m |
| Garden State Parkway | 5.6 mi | 7m |
| US 46 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| NJ 3 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Newark-Pompton Turnpike | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Parkway Drive | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Wanaque Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NJ 23
— 6.8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Pompton Lakes, NJ and East Orange, NJ.
1
Start on this road
39 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Lakeside Avenue
83 ft
·
4 sec
·
Lakeside Avenue
3
Turn sharp left onto CR 684
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Wanaque Avenue
4
Keep slight right at fork onto CR 684
231 ft
·
3 sec
·
Wanaque Avenue
5
Turn slight right onto CR 689
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike
6
Turn left onto CR 511 ALT
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Newark-Pompton Turnpike
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on NJ 23; CR 511 Alternate
0.6 mi
·
46 sec
·
NJ 23; CR 511 Alternate
8
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 23
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
NJ 23
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
297 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 80 East, US 46 East: New York, Clifton
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward US 46 East: Clifton
11
Merge onto US 46
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
12
Continue on US 46
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn slight left onto NJ 3
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit onto ramp to GSP Southbound
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
ramp to GSP Southbound
Toward GSP Toll South
Use the slight right lane.
15
Merge onto GSP
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 147
Toward East Orange
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn straight onto Parkway Drive
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
Parkway Drive
Use the straight lane.
18
Arrive at destination
Parkway Drive
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.48 one way
$6.96 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.81 | $7.63 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.07 | $8.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.64 | $9.27 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.46
Garden State Parkway
(5.6 mi)
$0.33
Newark-Pompton Turnpike
(0.9 mi)
$0.07
Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike
(0.8 mi)
$0.06
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.01 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.84 | $0.84 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
East Orange, NJ
Evening in East Orange on Friday
Local time
8:05 PM
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
26 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
28m 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 Pompton Lakes, NJ to East Orange, NJ covers 21 miles and takes about 28m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are NJ 23, Garden State Parkway, US 46. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.5 miles from Pompton Lakes, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.48 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 13 decision points packed into just 21 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 28m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Lakeside Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.3 miles (CR 511 ALT / Newark-Pompton Turnpike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (NJ 23): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Pompton Lakes, NJ and East Orange, NJ, road signs point toward Clifton and Gsp Toll South.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown National Historical Park. 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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