Origin
Union, NJ
Afternoon in Union on Friday
Local time
4:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union, NJ to Menlo Park, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
10.9 mi
18 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Menlo Park, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Union, NJ to Menlo Park, NJ covers 10.9 miles and takes about 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Garden State Parkway, Stuyvesant Avenue, Lincoln Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.7 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 10.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 17m highway drive covering 10.9 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and Stuyvesant Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 8.7 miles on Garden State Parkway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 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 8.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Stuyvesant Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 630 / Vauxhall Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 630 / Vauxhall Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (CR 619 / Stuyvesant Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 630 / Vauxhall Road
Turn right onto CR 630 / Vauxhall Road
Navigation decision point
3
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 619 / Stuyvesant Avenue
Turn left onto CR 619 / Stuyvesant Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward GSP Toll South
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward GSP Toll South
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
10 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward NJ 27: Iselin, Metuchen
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 132
Toward NJ 27: Iselin, Metuchen
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Union, NJ and Menlo Park, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll South and Metuchen.
Gsp Toll South
1 mi in
|
~3m
Metuchen
10 mi in
|
~15m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 8.7 mi | 11m |
| Stuyvesant Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Lincoln Highway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Philip Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Chestnut Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Harding Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 8.7 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union, NJ and Menlo Park, NJ.
1
Start on Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
11 sec
·
Harding Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 630
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
Vauxhall Road
3
Turn left onto CR 619
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Stuyvesant Avenue
4
Continue on CR 619
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Chestnut Street
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward GSP Toll South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto GSP
8.7 mi
·
11 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 132
Toward NJ 27: Iselin, Metuchen
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto NJ 27
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lincoln Highway
9
Turn right onto Philip Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Philip Street
10
Arrive at destination
Philip Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.81 one way
$3.61 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.98 | $3.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.11 | $4.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.41 | $4.81 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.52
Garden State Parkway
(8.7 mi)
$0.52
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$1
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.3 | 0 | $1.14 | $0.52 |
| Efficient EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.95 | $0.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.4 | 0 | $1.53 | $0.70 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Menlo Park, NJ
Afternoon in Menlo Park on Friday
Local time
4:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m 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, NJ to Menlo Park, NJ covers 10.9 miles and takes about 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, Stuyvesant Avenue, Lincoln Highway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.4 miles from Union, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.81 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 straightforward 17m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 630 / Vauxhall Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (CR 619 / Stuyvesant Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Between Union, NJ and Menlo Park, NJ, road signs point toward Gsp Toll South and Metuchen.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown 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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