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Trip from South Orange, NJ to West New York, NJ

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

32m

Distance

17.1 mi

28 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 29m ★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

village in Essex County, New Jersey, United States

South Orange, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States

West New York, NJ

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from South Orange, NJ to West New York, NJ covers 17.1 miles and takes about 32m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Essex Freeway, Tonnelle Avenue, South Orange Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.9 miles on Essex Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.83 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Essex Freeway 3.9 mi 5m
Tonnelle Avenue 3.5 mi 4m
South Orange Avenue 2.5 mi 5m
Newark-Jersey City Turnpike 2 mi 3m
New Wittpenn Bridge 1 mi 1m
Garden State Parkway 0.6 mi <1m
51st Street 0.5 mi 1m
US 1-9 Truck 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Essex Freeway — 3.9 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between South Orange, NJ and West New York, NJ.

1

Start on this road

0.1 mi · 1 min · this road
2

At end of road, turn left onto CR 510

2.5 mi · 5 min · South Orange Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
3

Turn right onto Oraton Parkway

0.1 mi · 13 sec · Oraton Parkway
Use the left lane.
4

Keep slight left at fork onto 14th Avenue

349 ft · 8 sec · 14th Avenue
Use the left lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
6

Merge onto GSP

0.6 mi · 47 sec · Garden State Parkway
7

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Exit 145 Toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges Use the slight right lane.
8

Continue on this road

160 ft · 3 sec · this road
Toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Toward I 280 West, I 280 East: Orange, West Orange, Newark, Harrison Use the slight left lane.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Toward I 280 East: Newark, Harrison Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto I 280

3.9 mi · 5 min · Essex Freeway
Use the straight lane.
12

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 17A Toward CR 508 East: Jersey City
13

Merge onto CR 508

2.0 mi · 3 min · Newark-Jersey City Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on NJ 7

1.0 mi · 1 min · New Wittpenn Bridge
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Continue on US 1 Truck; US 9 Truck

0.4 mi · 29 sec · US 1-9 Truck
16

Merge onto US 1; US 9

2.3 mi · 2 min · Tonnelle Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Continue on US 1; US 9

1.2 mi · 1 min · Tonnelle Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Turn right onto 51st Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · 51st Street
19

Turn sharp left onto CR 501

0.1 mi · 17 sec · John F. Kennedy Boulevard
20

Turn right onto 52nd Street

0.2 mi · 52 sec · 52nd Street
21

At end of road, turn left onto Bergenline Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Bergenline Avenue
22

Turn right onto 60th Street

0.1 mi · 18 sec · 60th Street
23

Arrive at destination

60th Street

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 4.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~1m in | CR 510 / South Orange Avenue

At end of road, turn left onto CR 510 / South Orange Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
7
2.8 mi into trip | ~7m in | 14th Avenue

Keep slight left at fork onto 14th Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
3.6 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges

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 145 Toward I 280, CR 508: Newark, The Oranges
9
3.9 mi into trip | ~9m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West, I 280 East: Orange, West Orange, Newark, Harrison

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 280 West, I 280 East: Orange, West Ora...
8
4.1 mi into trip | ~9m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 280 East: Newark, Harrison

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 280 East: Newark, Harrison

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.83 one way

$5.67 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $3.10 $6.21
premium $4.93 $3.32 $6.63
diesel $5.61 $3.78 $7.55

Estimated Tolls: $0.17

Newark-Jersey City Turnpike (2 mi) $0.14
Garden State Parkway (0.6 mi) $0.03

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

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.1 0 $1.80 $0.82
Efficient EV 4.3 0 $1.50 $0.68
EV Truck/SUV 6.8 0 $2.39 $1.09

Gas CO2

6 kg

EV CO2

2 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

South Orange, NJ

Afternoon in South Orange on Saturday

Local time

1:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

45°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

West New York, NJ

Afternoon in West New York on Saturday

Local time

1:28 PM

EDT

Current temp

47°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

2 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

32m 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?

17.1 mi in 32m — 41% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Essex Freeway.

41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.9 mi on Essex Freeway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near CR 510 / South Orange 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 18 decision points packed into just 17.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (CR 510 / South Orange Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (14th Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 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.

Between South Orange, NJ and West New York, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll North, Cr 508: Newark, The Oranges, Orange, Newark and Harrison - among others.

Gsp Toll North

2.9 mi in | ~7m

Cr 508: Newark

3.6 mi in | ~8m

The Oranges

3.6 mi in | ~8m

Orange

3.9 mi in | ~9m

Newark

3.9 mi in | ~9m

Harrison

3.9 mi in | ~9m

Cr 508 East: Jersey City

8.3 mi in | ~16m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 17.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

32m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (41%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 3.9 miles on Essex Freeway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.17 in tolls one way, starting with Newark-Jersey City Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

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 West New York, 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 0.1 miles (CR 510 / South Orange Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (14th Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Gateway National Recreation Area (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 West New York, 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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