Best Time to Drive from Manhattan to Newark

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.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Manhattan to Newark 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	27	28	32	41	44	41	43	40	49	41	46	57	69	56	41	35	32
Tue	27	28	34	40	42	42	43	42	48	40	52	69	67	61	43	36	35
Wed	27	28	32	40	43	47	42	42	44	40	48	66	70	63	45	36	33
Thu	27	28	33	42	48	44	44	45	54	47	58	68	75	68	50	40	38
Fri	27	28	32	41	43	40	47	55	56	57	73	81	77	68	52	40	36
Sat	28	27	29	32	35	40	47	54	44	47	44	43	51	47	46	38	37
Sun	27	27	29	30	33	35	43	44	48	38	47	50	52	42	38	35	35

About this drive

On weekdays the 16-mile drive from Manhattan to Newark (via NJ-495 West) usually takes as little as 27 minutes and up to 81 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 46 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (54 minutes).

About 11 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (11 to 41 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Manhattan to central Newark along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

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 Manhattan to Newark?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am. The drive usually takes about 27 minutes then, versus up to 81 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Manhattan to Newark?

The 16-mile drive usually takes 27 to 81 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 46 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Manhattan to Newark?

Leaving around 4 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 81 minutes.

More drives

Manhattan to Brooklyn · Manhattan to Staten Island · Manhattan to East Flatbush · Manhattan to Elizabeth · Manhattan to Bushwick · Manhattan to Gravesend · Manhattan to Fordham · Manhattan to Flatbush · Manhattan to Clifton · Manhattan to New Rochelle · Manhattan to Passaic · Manhattan to Bayside

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	32	41	44	41	43	40	49	41	46	57	69	56	41	35	32
Tue	27	28	34	40	42	42	43	42	48	40	52	69	67	61	43	36	35
Wed	27	28	32	40	43	47	42	42	44	40	48	66	70	63	45	36	33
Thu	27	28	33	42	48	44	44	45	54	47	58	68	75	68	50	40	38
Fri	27	28	32	41	43	40	47	55	56	57	73	81	77	68	52	40	36
Sat	28	27	29	32	35	40	47	54	44	47	44	43	51	47	46	38	37
Sun	27	27	29	30	33	35	43	44	48	38	47	50	52	42	38	35	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	32	41	44	41	43	40	49	41	46	57	69	56	41	35	32
Tue	27	28	34	40	42	42	43	42	48	40	52	69	67	61	43	36	35
Wed	27	28	32	40	43	47	42	42	44	40	48	66	70	63	45	36	33
Thu	27	28	33	42	48	44	44	45	54	47	58	68	75	68	50	40	38
Fri	27	28	32	41	43	40	47	55	56	57	73	81	77	68	52	40	36
Sat	28	27	29	32	35	40	47	54	44	47	44	43	51	47	46	38	37
Sun	27	27	29	30	33	35	43	44	48	38	47	50	52	42	38	35	35

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	27	28	32	41	44	41	43	40	49	41	46	57	69	56	41	35	32
Tue	27	28	34	40	42	42	43	42	48	40	52	69	67	61	43	36	35
Wed	27	28	32	40	43	47	42	42	44	40	48	66	70	63	45	36	33
Thu	27	28	33	42	48	44	44	45	54	47	58	68	75	68	50	40	38
Fri	27	28	32	41	43	40	47	55	56	57	73	81	77	68	52	40	36
Sat	28	27	29	32	35	40	47	54	44	47	44	43	51	47	46	38	37
Sun	27	27	29	30	33	35	43	44	48	38	47	50	52	42	38	35	35