Origin
Princeton Meadows, NJ
Afternoon in Princeton Meadows on Friday
Local time
3:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Princeton Meadows, NJ to Clifton, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 16m
Distance
51.7 mi
83 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Princeton Meadows, NJ
Mohan Nannapaneni
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Princeton Meadows, NJ to Clifton, NJ is 51.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 16 minutes via Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically within New Jersey, making it a convenient local journey. Expect a highway-focused drive that prioritizes speed and efficiency over leisurely sightseeing. It's a straightforward route ideal for a quick trip between these two points, especially if you're looking to get there without much fuss.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 51.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This drive is heavily focused on highways, with 78% of the journey utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a predominantly high-speed environment, particularly on the Garden State Parkway, where the longest uninterrupted stretch covers 22.2 miles. The route primarily follows major arteries like the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike, suggesting consistent traffic flow and limited opportunities for spontaneous stops off the main path. Expect a practical, no-frills driving experience that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 32 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 22.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.4 miles in near CR 614 / Dey Road.
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 51.7 miles you will encounter 25 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 1.4 miles (CR 614 / Dey Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 25 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
1.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
CR 614 / Dey Road
Turn right onto CR 614 / Dey Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
5.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward NJ 32 East: Jamesburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward NJ 32 East: Jamesburg
8
24.7 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward US 9, GSP: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge
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 11
Toward US 9, GSP: Garden State Parkway, Woodbri...
7
25.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight right at fork toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
8
48.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
Take the exit toward Montclair, Nutley
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 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Princeton Meadows, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll, Njtp North: New York City, Woodbridge, Montclair and Nutley.
Njtp Toll
6.5 mi in
|
~12m
Njtp North: New York City
7.1 mi in
|
~14m
Woodbridge
24.7 mi in
|
~35m
Montclair
48.1 mi in
|
~1h 8m
Nutley
48.1 mi in
|
~1h 8m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 22.2 mi | 30m |
| New Jersey Turnpike | 16.6 mi | 19m |
| Dey Road | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| US 130 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Forsgate Drive | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Scotts Corner Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 22.2 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Princeton Meadows, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on this road
285 ft
·
26 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
157 ft
·
16 sec
3
At end of road, turn left onto Hunters Glen Drive
273 ft
·
12 sec
·
Hunters Glen Drive
4
Continue on Tamarron Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Tamarron Drive
5
Turn left onto Plainsboro Road
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Plainsboro Road
6
Turn left onto Scotts Corner Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Scotts Corner Road
7
Turn right onto CR 614
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Dey Road
Use the straight lane.
8
Turn left onto US 130
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
US 130
Use the slight right lane.
9
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
Toward NJ 32 East: Jamesburg
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on NJ 32
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Forsgate Drive
11
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward NJTP Toll, I 95 Toll: New Jersey Turnpike
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 95, NJTP North: New York City
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Merge onto I 95; NJTP
17 mi
·
19 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
15
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 11
Toward US 9, GSP: Garden State Parkway, Woodbridge
Use the slight right lane.
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP North: Garden State Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
17
Merge onto GSP
22 mi
·
30 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
19
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
20
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
21
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
22
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
23
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
24
Enter roundabout onto CR 602
261 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allwood Road
25
Continue on CR 602
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Allwood Road
26
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
27
Turn right onto Olga B Terrace
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
28
Turn right onto Hutton Road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hutton Road
29
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
441 ft
·
25 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
30
Turn left onto Donna Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Donna Drive
31
Turn right onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
32
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 25.8 mi from Princeton Meadows, NJ · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
26 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.8 miles from Princeton Meadows, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Clifton, NJ
The final approach into Clifton, 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
$8.57 one way
$17.14 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.39 | $18.77 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.03 | $20.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.41 | $22.83 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.66
New Jersey Turnpike
(16.6 mi)
$2.33
Garden State Parkway
(22.2 mi)
$1.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$4
Total
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.43 | $2.48 |
| Efficient EV | 12.9 | 0 | $4.52 | $2.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.7 | 0 | $7.24 | $3.31 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (67% 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
Afternoon in Clifton on Friday
Local time
3:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Chance Rain Showers
NW 6 to 9 mph
28% 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
9 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
1h 16m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Princeton Meadows, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 51.7 miles and takes about 1h 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike, Dey Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 25.8 miles from Princeton Meadows, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.57 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 51.7 miles you will encounter 25 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 1.4 miles (CR 614 / Dey Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Princeton Meadows, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Njtp Toll, Njtp North: New York City, Woodbridge, Montclair and Nutley.
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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