Origin
Wanaque, NJ
Evening in Wanaque on Thursday
Local time
7:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wanaque, NJ to Union, NJ
Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026
Drive Time
40m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wanaque, NJ
Agastya Garg
Union, NJ
Arjun Gheewala
Trip Overview
The drive from Wanaque, NJ to Union, NJ covers 29.1 miles and takes about 40m 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, NJ 23, US 46 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.8 miles on Garden State Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.82 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 40m highway drive covering 29.1 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and NJ 23. The longest continuous stretch is about 11.8 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 19 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 11.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and NJ 23. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.3 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 16 decision points packed into just 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.8 miles (NJ 23): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
3.3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward NJ 23: Riverdale, Wayne, Butler
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 52A-B
Toward NJ 23: Riverdale, Wayne, Butler
9
3.5 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward NJ 23 South: Riverdale, Wayne
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 52A
Toward NJ 23 South: Riverdale, Wayne
6
4.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
NJ 23
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 23
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
16.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
ramp to GSP Southbound
Take the exit onto ramp to GSP Southbound toward GSP Toll South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward GSP Toll South
7
28.5 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward Vauxhall Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Wanaque, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Wayne, Butler, Clifton and Gsp Toll South.
Wayne
3.3 mi in
|
~4m
Butler
3.3 mi in
|
~4m
Clifton
11 mi in
|
~14m
Gsp Toll South
16.4 mi in
|
~20m
|
via ramp to GSP Southbound
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Garden State Parkway | 11.8 mi | 16m |
| NJ 23 | 7.2 mi | 8m |
| US 46 | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| I 287 | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Ringwood Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| NJ 3 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Vauxhall Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| ramp to GSP Southbound | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 11.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wanaque, NJ and Union, NJ.
1
Start on CR 511
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Ringwood Avenue
2
Turn right onto CR 511
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Union Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 287 South: Morristown
4
Merge onto I 287
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
I 287
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 52A-B
Toward NJ 23: Riverdale, Wayne, Butler
Use the slight right lane.
6
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 52A
Toward NJ 23 South: Riverdale, Wayne
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto NJ 23
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 23
8
Keep slight left at fork onto NJ 23
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
NJ 23
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
297 ft
·
7 sec
Toward I 80 East, US 46 East: New York, Clifton
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward US 46 East: Clifton
11
Merge onto US 46
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
US 46
12
Continue on US 46
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
US 46
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn slight left onto NJ 3
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
NJ 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit onto ramp to GSP Southbound
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
ramp to GSP Southbound
Toward GSP Toll South
Use the slight right lane.
15
Merge onto GSP
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Garden State Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 141
Toward Vauxhall Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Turn right onto CR 630
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Vauxhall Road
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto Harding Avenue
243 ft
·
10 sec
·
Harding Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Harding Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.82 one way
$9.65 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.28 | $10.57 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.64 | $11.29 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.42 | $12.85 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.71
Garden State Parkway
(11.8 mi)
$0.71
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: 10.2 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 | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
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
Union, NJ
Evening in Union on Thursday
Local time
7:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
21 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
40m 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 Wanaque, NJ to Union, NJ covers 29.1 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, NJ 23, US 46. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.6 miles from Wanaque, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.82 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 16 decision points packed into just 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.8 miles (NJ 23): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Wanaque, NJ and Union, NJ, road signs point toward Wayne, Butler, Clifton and Gsp Toll South.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Union, NJ
More trips to Union, NJ
Explore more options from Wanaque, NJ or browse trips ending in Union, NJ.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NJ road trips.
Explore maps for Wanaque, NJ or Union, NJ on MapSof.net.