Best Time to Drive from Elizabeth to Brooklyn

None of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

On weekdays the 21-mile drive from Elizabeth to Brooklyn (via I-278 East and I-278 North) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 73 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 43 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 2:30 pm on Saturdays (56 minutes).

⇄ Reverse trip: Brooklyn to Elizabeth

Freeway, about 16 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 5 miles: 9 to 24 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Elizabeth to central Brooklyn along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Elizabeth to Brooklyn by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	41	58	59	56	45	43	44	39	37	41	45	46	44	35	31	29
Tue	29	46	67	73	68	56	49	43	37	37	39	41	45	45	38	32	30
Wed	28	43	57	67	67	56	49	44	41	42	45	43	49	50	39	33	30
Thu	28	43	53	59	63	54	45	47	42	41	43	46	51	57	46	34	30
Fri	28	37	48	49	43	39	40	39	41	47	58	65	63	58	46	35	31
Sat	26	27	28	29	31	37	44	49	55	53	52	47	50	49	42	37	35
Sun	26	27	26	27	28	30	36	47	48	55	55	53	49	50	47	43	40

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Elizabeth to Brooklyn?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am or after 9 pm. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 73 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Elizabeth to Brooklyn?

The 21-mile drive usually takes 28 to 73 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 43 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Elizabeth to Brooklyn?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 73 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

More drives

Brooklyn to Elizabeth (return trip) · Elizabeth to Queens

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	41	58	59	56	45	43	44	39	37	41	45	46	44	35	31	29
Tue	29	46	67	73	68	56	49	43	37	37	39	41	45	45	38	32	30
Wed	28	43	57	67	67	56	49	44	41	42	45	43	49	50	39	33	30
Thu	28	43	53	59	63	54	45	47	42	41	43	46	51	57	46	34	30
Fri	28	37	48	49	43	39	40	39	41	47	58	65	63	58	46	35	31
Sat	26	27	28	29	31	37	44	49	55	53	52	47	50	49	42	37	35
Sun	26	27	26	27	28	30	36	47	48	55	55	53	49	50	47	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	41	58	59	56	45	43	44	39	37	41	45	46	44	35	31	29
Tue	29	46	67	73	68	56	49	43	37	37	39	41	45	45	38	32	30
Wed	28	43	57	67	67	56	49	44	41	42	45	43	49	50	39	33	30
Thu	28	43	53	59	63	54	45	47	42	41	43	46	51	57	46	34	30
Fri	28	37	48	49	43	39	40	39	41	47	58	65	63	58	46	35	31
Sat	26	27	28	29	31	37	44	49	55	53	52	47	50	49	42	37	35
Sun	26	27	26	27	28	30	36	47	48	55	55	53	49	50	47	43	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	41	58	59	56	45	43	44	39	37	41	45	46	44	35	31	29
Tue	29	46	67	73	68	56	49	43	37	37	39	41	45	45	38	32	30
Wed	28	43	57	67	67	56	49	44	41	42	45	43	49	50	39	33	30
Thu	28	43	53	59	63	54	45	47	42	41	43	46	51	57	46	34	30
Fri	28	37	48	49	43	39	40	39	41	47	58	65	63	58	46	35	31
Sat	26	27	28	29	31	37	44	49	55	53	52	47	50	49	42	37	35
Sun	26	27	26	27	28	30	36	47	48	55	55	53	49	50	47	43	40