Garden State Parkway

About Garden State Parkway

The Garden State Parkway is a 172.4-mile (277-km) limited-access toll parkway that stretches the length of New Jersey from the New York state line at Montvale, New Jersey, to Cape May at the southern tip of the state. Its name refers to the state nickname, the "Garden State". Most New Jersey residents refer to it as simply "The Parkway". The Parkway's official (unsigned) designation is Route 444. The highway connects to a short segment of the New York State Thruway known as the "Parkway Extension" and which is officially designated (but unsigned) as New York State Reference Route 982L. That 2.4 mile segment connects to the Thruway mainline. According to the IBTTA, the Parkway is the most heavily traveled highway in the country.

The Garden State Parkway begins in Lower Township at a traffic light with Route 109. For the first three and a half miles, the Parkway crosses over streams. At 3.48 miles, the Parkway crosses over Taylor Creek and enters Middle Township. At 3.69 miles, the first exit, Exit 4, leaves to the right. Exit 4 is for Route 47 to Wildwood. At 6.54 miles, Parkway Exit 6, which is for Route 147 and Wildwood, leaves to the right. The first traffic light exit, Exit 9, is for Shellbay Avenue. The second traffic light intersection, Exit 10, is for County Route 657. Exit 12 is for U.S. Route 9. Exit 13 is for Avalon Boulevard. At 14.85 miles, the Parkway enters Dennis Township after crossing Uncle Aaron's Creek. At 17.5 miles, Exit 17 leaves to the right for County Route 625. At milepost 19.38, the Parkway enters its first toll, the Cape May Toll Plaza. A little more than 20 miles in, Exit 20 leaves for Route 50. In Upper Township, Exit 25 leaves for County Route 623. At 27.77 miles, the Parkway enters Atlantic County.

Just before Exit 29 for U.S. Route 9, the Parkway enters the Great Egg Toll Plaza. Exit 30 leaves to the right at milepost 30 for Laurel Road in Somers Point which leads to Ocean City via a circle and, past that, the Route 52 causeway. Now in Egg Harbor Township, Exit 36 opens onto local roads. Exit 37 is the Parkway's interchange with the Black Horse Pike (US 40/322). Exit 38 is for the Atlantic City Expressway. Now entering Galloway Township, U.S. Route 30 interchanges with the Parkway at Exit 40. Exit 44 is next, leading to County Route 561's alternate route. Just after Exit 48 for U.S. Route 9 near the Mullica River and Bass River State Forest, the Parkway enters Burlington County. Exit 50 is for Route 9 as well, while Exit 52 is for Burlington County Route 654.