Origin
Union City, NJ
Evening in Union City on Friday
Local time
8:12 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union City, NJ to Monroe, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
29.3 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union City, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Monroe, NJ
Garrison Gao
Trip Overview
The drive from Union City, NJ to Monroe, NJ covers 29.3 miles and takes about 39m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway, NJ 24, New Jersey Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.1 miles on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 29.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m 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
This is a 39m highway drive covering 29.3 miles, with most of the trip on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway and NJ 24. The longest continuous stretch is about 9.1 miles on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 9.1 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway and NJ 24. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 8 miles in near NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike.
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 29.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 8 miles (NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike toward I 95 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South
8
8.6 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
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 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Hollan...
7
9.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 14
Toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
7
19.1 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Keep slight right at fork toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 48
Toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
7
28.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward CR 511 North: Whippany
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1B
Toward CR 511 North: Whippany
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Union City, NJ to Monroe, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Morristown along the way.
Morristown
19.1 mi in
|
~26m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| NJ 24 | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| New Jersey Turnpike | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| NJ 495 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| John F. Kennedy Boulevard | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Park Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Whippany Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| 45th Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
— 9.1 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union City, NJ and Monroe, NJ.
1
Start on 45th Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
45th Street
2
Turn left onto CR 501
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Boulevard
3
Turn slight left
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward NJ 495 West, NJTP West
5
Continue on this road
374 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
Toward NJ 495 West
6
Merge onto NJ 495
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 495
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South: Newark
8
Merge onto I 95
5.6 mi
·
7 min
·
New Jersey Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork onto NJTP
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
New Jersey Turnpike
Toward I 95 South
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Exit 14-14C
Toward I 78, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport, Holland Tunnel
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 14
Toward I 78 West, US 1, US 9: Newark Airport
12
Merge onto I 78
379 ft
·
4 sec
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway Tolls
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 78
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 48
Toward NJ 24 West: Springfield, Morristown
15
Continue on NJ 24
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
NJ 24
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 1B
Toward CR 511 North: Whippany
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn straight onto CR 511
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Whippany Road
18
Turn left onto Park Avenue
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Park Avenue
Use the left lane.
19
Arrive at destination
Cedar Knolls Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.86 one way
$9.72 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.32 | $10.64 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.68 | $11.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.47 | $12.94 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.86
New Jersey Turnpike
(6.2 mi)
$0.86
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.56 | $1.17 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.88 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Monroe, NJ
Evening in Monroe on Friday
Local time
8:12 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
22 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
39m 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 Union City, NJ to Monroe, NJ covers 29.3 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Phillipsburg-Newark Expressway, NJ 24, New Jersey Turnpike. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.7 miles from Union City, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.86 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 29.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
The main spots that need attention: at 8 miles (NJTP / New Jersey Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Union City, NJ to Monroe, NJ, road signs begin pointing toward Morristown along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Morristown National Historical Park, Thomas Edison National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls 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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