Origin
Union, NJ
Afternoon in Union on Saturday
Local time
2:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Union, NJ to Wildwood Crest, NJ
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 53m
Distance
142.5 mi
229 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$24
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 42m
★
6 AM
2h 53m
8 AM
3h 15m
10 AM
3h 1m
12 PM
2h 59m
3 PM
3h 2m
5 PM
3h 14m
8 PM
2h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Wildwood Crest, NJ
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Union, NJ to Wildwood Crest, NJ covers 142.5 miles and takes about 2h 53m 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, Garden State Parkway Southbound, South Wildwood Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 130.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $23.62 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
71.2 miles from Union, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 27m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 130.6 mi | 2h 33m |
| Garden State Parkway Southbound | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| South Wildwood Boulevard | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Atlantic Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Rio Grande Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Stuyvesant Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Delsea Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 130.6 mi, about 2h 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Union, NJ and Wildwood Crest, 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
8.6 mi
·
11 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Continue on Garden State Parkway
6.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Garden State Parkway Southbound
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto GSP
0.7 mi
·
49 sec
·
Garden State Parkway
9
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP
121 mi
·
2 hr 20 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 4A
Toward NJ 47 South: Wildwood, Wildwood Crest
11
Merge onto NJ 47
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Delsea Drive
12
Continue on NJ 47
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
South Wildwood Boulevard
13
Continue on NJ 47
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
South Wildwood Boulevard
14
Continue on NJ 47
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Rio Grande Avenue
15
Turn right onto OD
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Atlantic Avenue
16
Turn right onto East Rosemary Road
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
East Rosemary Road
17
Arrive at destination
East Rosemary Road
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 71.2 miles from Union, NJ, or about 1h 27m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 130.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 31 miles or 40m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 71.2 miles or 1h 27m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 20m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Wildwood Crest, NJ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Union, NJ so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Union, NJ
This is one driving day of about 142.5 miles and 2h 53m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 31 miles from Union, NJ.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Garden State Parkway for about 130.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
71 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 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 71.2 miles from Union, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Garden State Parkway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 130.6 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 138.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CR 630 / Vauxhall Road
Turn right onto CR 630 / Vauxhall Road
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.
6
16.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
GSP / Garden State Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto GSP / Garden State Parkway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
6
138.1 mi into trip
|
~2h 45m in
Take the exit toward NJ 47 South: Wildwood, Wildwood Crest
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 4A
Toward NJ 47 South: Wildwood, Wildwood Crest
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$23.62 one way
$47.25 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
50 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $25.87 | $51.75 |
| premium | $4.93 | $27.64 | $55.27 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $31.46 | $62.92 |
Estimated Tolls: $8.21
Garden State Parkway
(136.8 mi)
$8.21
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$24
Tolls
$8
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$57–$82
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 49.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $15 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 42.8 | 0 | $14.96 | $6.84 |
| Efficient EV | 35.6 | 0 | $12.47 | $5.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 57 | 0 | $19.95 | $9.12 |
Gas CO2
50 kg
EV CO2
17 kg (66% 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
Wildwood Crest, NJ
Afternoon in Wildwood Crest on Saturday
Local time
2:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
1 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
2h 53m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Today, the brick buildings on Main Street in West Orange, NJ seem quiet, betraying little evidence of the research, development, and innovation of their heyday. Visitors can step back in time to Thoma...
6 mi from route
~16 min detour
$10
Park Closure: Glenmont Mansion and Grounds Closed
Morristown National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Morristown National Historical Park commemorates the sites of General Washington and the Continental Army’s winter encampment from December 1779 to June 1780, where soldiers survived the coldest winte...
15 mi from route
~37 min detour
Free
View on nps.gov
Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Silk cloth and steam locomotives; textiles and continuous paper rolls; firearms and aircraft engines. What do these things have in common? All were manufactured in the same place - Paterson, NJ. In 17...
16 mi from route
~39 min detour
Free
View on nps.gov
Gateway National Recreation Area
National Recreation Area
Spanning 27,000 acres from Sandy Hook in New Jersey to Breezy Point in New York City, the park is both the gateway from the ocean into New York Harbor, and the gateway to the National Park Service for...
18 mi from route
~46 min detour
Free
near mile 29.5
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
142.5 mi in 2h 53m, mostly highway — 130.6 mi of that is on Garden State Parkway.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 130.6 mi on Garden State Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and Garden State Parkway Southbound. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CR 630 / Vauxhall Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 142.5 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 630 / Vauxhall Road): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 53m. Total distance: 142.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 130.6 miles on Garden State Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $8.21 in tolls one way, starting with Garden State Parkway. 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 Wildwood Crest, NJ before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CR 630 / Vauxhall Road): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (GSP / Garden State Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Thomas Edison National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park and Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park (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 Wildwood Crest, 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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