The drive from Woodbridge, NJ to Cape May, NJ covers 133 miles and takes about 2h 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, US 9, Lafayette Street for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is highway-focused drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 128.3 miles on Garden State Parkway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $22.05 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
66.5 miles from Woodbridge, NJ
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 19m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 40m. Total distance: 133 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 2h 40m highway drive covering 133 miles, with most of the trip on Garden State Parkway and US 9. The longest continuous stretch is about 128.3 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 18 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 128.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Garden State Parkway and US 9. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near CR 514 / Main Street.
Driving Effort8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 133 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CR 514 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.3 mi into trip|~0m in|CR 514 / Main Street
Turn right onto CR 514 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
0.9 mi into trip|~1m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.4 mi into trip|~4m in
Take the exit toward GSP: Garden State Parkway South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward GSP: Garden State Parkway South
6
5.8 mi into trip|~9m 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.
8
132.2 mi into trip|~2h 36m in|Washington Street
At end of road, turn right onto Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Garden State Parkway
128.3 mi
2h 29m
US 9
1.4 mi
2m
Lafayette Street
1.1 mi
1m
Reading Avenue
0.7 mi
2m
Main Street
0.6 mi
1m
Amboy Avenue
0.3 mi
<1m
Massachusetts Avenue
<0.1 mi
<1m
East Street
<0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Garden State Parkway
— 128.3 mi, about 2h 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Woodbridge, NJ and Cape May, NJ.
1
Start on CR 604
61 ft·5 sec·Green Street
2
Turn right onto NJ 35
0.3 mi·37 sec·Amboy Avenue
3
Turn right onto CR 514
0.6 mi·1 min·Main Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi·33 sec
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto US 9
1.4 mi·2 min·US 9
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi·36 sec
Toward GSP: Garden State Parkway SouthUse the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Merge onto GSP
2.3 mi·3 min·Garden State Parkway
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
125 mi·2 hr 25 min·Garden State Parkway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on NJ 109
1.1 mi·1 min·Lafayette Street
Use the left / uturn / straight lanes.
11
Turn left onto NJ 109; OD
275 ft·8 sec·Sidney Avenue
Use the left lane.
12
At end of road, turn right onto Washington Street
293 ft·13 sec·Washington Street
Use the right lane.
13
Turn left onto East Street
302 ft·15 sec·East Street
14
Turn right onto Massachusetts Avenue
324 ft·15 sec·Massachusetts Avenue
15
Turn left onto Reading Avenue
0.7 mi·2 min·Reading Avenue
16
Turn left onto New York Avenue
104 ft·6 sec·New York Avenue
17
Turn right
82 ft·6 sec
18
Arrive at destination
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 66.5 miles from Woodbridge, NJ, or about 1h 19m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 128.3 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 29 miles or 35m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 66.5 miles or 1h 19m 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 9m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cape May, NJ than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Woodbridge, 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 Woodbridge, NJ
This is one driving day of about 133 miles and 2h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Woodbridge, 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 128.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 66.5 mi from Woodbridge, NJ
· 1h 19m into the drive
The midpoint is around 66.5 miles from Woodbridge, NJ, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel check
Top up before Garden State Parkway if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 128.3 miles.
Arriving in Cape May, NJ
The final approach into Cape May, NJ usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Cape May, NJ.
After long uninterrupted mileage, take five minutes before the last urban segment to reset and refocus on exits, merges, and city traffic.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
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...
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 18.3
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...
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...
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
39.9
0
$13.96
$6.38
Efficient EV
33.3
0
$11.64
$5.32
EV Truck/SUV
53.2
0
$18.62
$8.51
Gas CO2
47 kg
EV CO2
16 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.
Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026
Origin
Woodbridge, NJ
Night
in Woodbridge on Friday
Local time
11:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Cape May, NJ
Night
in Cape May on Friday
Local time
11:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
4 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 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 Woodbridge, NJ to Cape May, NJ covers 133 miles and takes about 2h 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Garden State Parkway, US 9, Lafayette Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 66.5 miles from Woodbridge, NJ. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $22.05 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.
Plan about 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, or rest. A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
This is a demanding drive. With 15 significant decision points across 133 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (CR 514 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Woodbridge, NJ to Cape May, NJ does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
