Origin
Union, NJ
Morning in Union on Saturday
Local time
8:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union, NJ to North Caldwell, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
North Caldwell, NJ
Joel Zar
Trip Overview
The drive from Union, NJ to North Caldwell, NJ covers 17.8 miles and takes about 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Essex Freeway, Garden State Parkway, Roseland Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.9 miles on Essex Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 29m highway drive covering 17.8 miles, with most of the trip on Essex Freeway and Garden State Parkway. The longest continuous stretch is about 6.9 miles on Essex Freeway.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Essex Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 6.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Essex Freeway and Garden State Parkway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.2 miles in.
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 20 decision points packed into just 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
8
5.2 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
5.5 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
5.7 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West: The Oranges
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 280 West: The Oranges
8
5.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 280 West: The Oranges
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward I 280 West: The Oranges
8
12.9 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward CR 527 North: The Caldwells, Livingston
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 5B
Toward CR 527 North: The Caldwells, Livingston
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 North Caldwell, NJ, road signs point toward Cr 508: Newark, The Oranges, Orange, Newark, Harrison and Cr 527 North: The Caldwells - among others.
Cr 508: Newark
5.2 mi in
|
~8m
The Oranges
5.2 mi in
|
~8m
Orange
5.5 mi in
|
~9m
Newark
5.5 mi in
|
~9m
Harrison
5.5 mi in
|
~9m
Cr 527 North: The Caldwells
12.9 mi in
|
~19m
Livingston
12.9 mi in
|
~19m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essex Freeway | 6.9 mi | 8m |
| Garden State Parkway | 4.3 mi | 6m |
| Roseland Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Smull Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| CR 527 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Mountain Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Eagle Rock Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Essex Freeway
— 6.9 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union, NJ and North Caldwell, NJ.
1
Start on Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
17 sec
·
Harding Avenue
2
Turn left onto CR 630
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
3
Turn slight left
105 ft
·
8 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward GSP Toll North
5
Continue on this road
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
this road
6
Merge onto GSP
4.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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 left at fork
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 280 West: The Oranges
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward I 280 West: The Oranges
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 280
6.9 mi
·
8 min
·
Essex Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 5B
Toward CR 527 North: The Caldwells, Livingston
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn straight onto CR 527
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
CR 527
Use the straight lane.
15
Turn right onto CR 527; CR 611
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Eagle Rock Avenue
16
Turn left onto CR 527
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Roseland Avenue
Use the straight lane.
17
At end of road, turn left onto CR 506
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Bloomfield Avenue
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto Smull Avenue
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Smull Avenue
19
Turn right
88 ft
·
7 sec
20
Turn left onto CR 527
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Mountain Avenue
21
Turn left onto East Greenbrook Road
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
East Greenbrook Road
22
Turn right
113 ft
·
8 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.95 one way
$5.90 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.23 | $6.46 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.45 | $6.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.26
Garden State Parkway
(4.3 mi)
$0.26
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: 6.2 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 | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
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.
Destination
North Caldwell, NJ
Morning in North Caldwell on Saturday
Local time
8:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°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
13 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
29m 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 North Caldwell, NJ covers 17.8 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Essex Freeway, Garden State Parkway, Roseland Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.9 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 $2.95 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 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 29m.
The main spots that need attention: at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Union, NJ and North Caldwell, NJ, road signs point toward Cr 508: Newark, The Oranges, Orange, Newark, Harrison and Cr 527 North: The Caldwells - among others.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park and Morristown 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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