Origin
South River, NJ
Evening in South River on Friday
Local time
5:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South River, 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
55m
Distance
36.6 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South River, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Clifton, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 36.6-mile drive from South River, NJ to Clifton, NJ is a quick trip, clocking in at just 55 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You'll primarily be on the Garden State Parkway and US 1, with State Route 18 also playing a role. The highway-focused profile means you'll spend most of your time on faster roads. Budget around $6 for fuel for this short hop within the Northeast region. This route is straightforward and efficient for getting between these two New Jersey locations.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 36.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (86%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused drive for the majority of this trip, with 86% of the route utilizing major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 21.5 miles on the Garden State Parkway, offering a consistent pace. While primarily highway, you will transition between the Garden State Parkway, US 1, and State Route 18, providing some variation in the road's feel as you navigate through New Jersey. It's a drive that prioritizes getting you to your destination efficiently.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 28 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 21.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 20 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
3.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the exit toward US 1 North: Newark
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / slight right lanes.
Toward US 1 North: Newark
5
11.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
33.1 mi into trip
|
~48m 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
5
34.3 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Turn left onto CR 622 / Darling Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between South River, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Montclair and Nutley.
Montclair
33.1 mi in
|
~48m
Nutley
33.1 mi in
|
~48m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 21.5 mi | 29m |
| US 1 | 7.2 mi | 11m |
| State Route 18 | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Allwood Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Clifton Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Passaic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Passaic Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 21.5 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South River, NJ and Clifton, NJ.
1
Start on CR 535
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn right onto CR 606
363 ft
·
12 sec
·
Hillside Avenue
3
Continue on CR 606
451 ft
·
12 sec
·
Milltown Road
4
Take the ramp onto CR 606
291 ft
·
12 sec
·
CR 606
5
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
6
Merge onto NJ 18
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
State Route 18
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward US 1 North: Newark
Use the left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto US 1
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
US 1
9
Continue on US 1
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
US 1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on US 1
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
US 1
Use the right lane.
11
Continue on US 1
5.9 mi
·
9 min
·
US 1
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward GSP Toll North: Garden State Parkway
13
Merge onto GSP
21 mi
·
29 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 151
Toward Montclair, Nutley
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn right onto CR 655
483 ft
·
15 sec
·
Watchung Avenue
16
At end of road, turn left onto CR 652
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
East Passaic Avenue
17
Turn right onto CR 622
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
West Passaic Avenue
18
Turn left onto CR 622
411 ft
·
7 sec
·
Darling Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Continue on CR 622
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Enter roundabout onto CR 602
261 ft
·
4 sec
·
Allwood Road
21
Continue on CR 602
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Allwood Road
22
Turn right onto NJ 161
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Clifton Avenue
23
Turn right onto Olga B Terrace
174 ft
·
9 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
24
Turn right onto Hutton Road
39 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hutton Road
25
Turn left onto Olga B Terrace
441 ft
·
25 sec
·
Olga B Terrace
26
Turn left onto Donna Drive
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Donna Drive
27
Turn right onto Holly Street
516 ft
·
22 sec
·
Holly Street
28
Arrive at destination
Holly Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.3 mi from South River, NJ · 27m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from South River, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Clifton, NJ
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Clifton, NJ if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.89 one way
$11.78 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $6.63 | $13.25 |
| premium | $4.95 | $7.14 | $14.28 |
| diesel | $5.98 | $8.62 | $17.23 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.29
Garden State Parkway
(21.5 mi)
$1.29
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.84 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.20 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.12 | $2.34 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Evening in Clifton on Friday
Local time
5:35 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
24 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
55m 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 South River, NJ to Clifton, NJ covers 36.6 miles and takes about 55m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, US 1, State Route 18. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.3 miles from South River, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.89 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 20 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.6 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Between South River, NJ and Clifton, NJ, road signs point toward Montclair and Nutley.
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. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Clifton, NJ
More trips to Clifton, NJ
Explore more options from South River, NJ or browse trips ending in Clifton, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.