Origin
Rockaway, NJ
Afternoon in Rockaway on Thursday
Local time
1:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockaway, NJ to Paterson, NJ
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
26m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Excellent
16 DC fast
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockaway, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Paterson, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Rockaway to Paterson, you are looking at a quick 22.5-mile journey that typically takes about 26 minutes to complete. This drive stays entirely within the Northeast region of New Jersey, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You won't need to worry about overnight accommodations, as the transit time is minimal. Budgeting around $4 for fuel should easily cover the trip, regardless of your vehicle's efficiency. Because this route involves zero scheduled stops, it is a straightforward point-to-point transit that offers great flexibility for your daily schedule.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
16 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: excellent.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that lacks any significant highway segments, as this route maintains a 0% highway share. You will spend the bulk of your time navigating local roads, specifically utilizing Church Street and Hibernia Avenue. The longest uninterrupted stretch you will encounter is a 20.3-mile segment on the Christopher Columbus Highway. Behind the wheel, you should be prepared for a consistent flow of local traffic rather than the high-speed monotony of an interstate. The experience is defined by the constant turns required to navigate these local arteries from start to finish.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Christopher Columbus Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 20.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 21.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 22.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 21.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.8 miles: 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.
8
21.4 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Take the exit toward NJ 19: Downtown, Paterson
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 57B
Toward NJ 19: Downtown, Paterson
6
21.7 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
8
21.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Grand Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Grand Street
7
21.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
CR 638 / Grand Street
Turn right onto CR 638 / Grand Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
22.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
CR 509 / Main Street
Turn left onto CR 509 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Christopher Columbus Highway | 20.3 mi | 22m |
| Church Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Hibernia Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Grand Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Halsey Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| NJ 19 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Market Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Christopher Columbus Highway
— 20.3 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockaway, NJ and Paterson, NJ.
1
Start on this road
46 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto CR 513
137 ft
·
7 sec
·
West Main Street
3
Turn left onto CR 513
337 ft
·
5 sec
·
Wall Street
4
Turn right onto CR 513
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Church Street
5
Continue on CR 513
491 ft
·
10 sec
·
Halsey Avenue
6
Continue on CR 513
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Hibernia Avenue
7
Keep slight right at fork onto Hibernia Avenue
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Hibernia Avenue
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 80 East
9
Merge onto I 80
20 mi
·
22 min
·
Christopher Columbus Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 57B
Toward NJ 19: Downtown, Paterson
Use the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto NJ 19
474 ft
·
5 sec
·
NJ 19
12
Take the exit
313 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 80 West: Grand Street, Del Water Gap
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
Toward Grand Street
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14
Turn right onto CR 638
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Grand Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto CR 509
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn right onto CR 648
453 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
17
Turn left onto Colt Street
42 ft
·
3 sec
·
Colt Street
18
Arrive at destination
Colt Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 11.2 mi from Rockaway, NJ · 13m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
11 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 22.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 11.2 miles from Rockaway, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Paterson, NJ
The final approach into Paterson, NJ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Paterson, NJ.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.73 one way
$7.46 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.36 | $8.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
EV Charging Along Route
16 DC fast chargers · Coverage: excellent
ChargePoint Charging Station
Denville, New Jersey
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
EV Connect Charging Station
Dover, New Jersey
EV Connect
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Denville, New Jersey
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
Tesla Supercharger
Rockaway, New Jersey
Tesla
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Morris Plains, New Jersey
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Parsippany, New Jersey
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Morristown, New Jersey
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint Charging Station
Whippany, New Jersey
ChargePoint
1 DCFC
ChargePoint: 12
EV Connect: 1
Tesla: 1
Blink: 1
Other: 1
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
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
Paterson, NJ
Afternoon in Paterson on Thursday
Local time
1:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
57°F
Ramapo, NY
11 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
19 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
26m 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 Rockaway, NJ to Paterson, NJ covers 22.5 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Christopher Columbus Highway, Church Street, Hibernia Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.2 miles from Rockaway, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.73 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 demanding drive. With 13 significant decision points across 22.5 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 21.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Rockaway, NJ to Paterson, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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