Every NJ commuter town on one map
Most buyers moving from NYC start with a short list — Summit, Maplewood, Montclair — and stop there. That's a mistake. The Midtown Direct line alone has 12 stops across three counties, and the Raritan Valley, Gladstone Branch, and Northeast Corridor add 30+ more viable commuter communities. Each has a very different price point, school profile, highway access, and town feel.
This map layers NJ Transit's four busiest commuter lines on top of the real road network — I-78, I-280, I-287, I-80, Route 24, the Garden State Parkway, the NJ Turnpike — so you can see at a glance which towns are both train-accessible and highway-friendly. Click any station for NYC commute minutes, median home price, school rating, and the town's full guide.
If you're 6–24 months from a move, the right next step is a 15-minute call. I'll match your priorities (commute tolerance, budget, schools, walkability) against the 138 communities I cover and hand you a shortlist. No pressure.
NJ Train Map & Commute FAQ
Which NJ Transit line has the fastest commute to NYC Penn Station?
The Northeast Corridor runs direct to NYC Penn — Newark Penn is 18 minutes, Elizabeth 25, Linden 30, Rahway 33, Metropark 38. Midtown Direct (Morris & Essex Main & Gladstone) is also direct: South Orange 31, Summit 44, Morristown 60. The Raritan Valley Line requires a transfer at Newark Penn and adds roughly 10 minutes.
What towns are on the Midtown Direct train line?
Midtown Direct runs through 12 stations on the Morris & Essex Main Line: South Orange, Maplewood, Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, Chatham, Madison, Convent Station, Morristown, Morris Plains, Denville, and Dover. The Gladstone Branch splits at Summit and adds New Providence, Murray Hill, Berkeley Heights, Gillette, Stirling, Millington, Lyons, Basking Ridge, Bernardsville, Far Hills, and Peapack-Gladstone.
Which Midtown Direct town has the best schools?
Short Hills (Millburn Township) and Chatham consistently score 10/10 on GreatSchools. Summit, Madison, Westfield (Raritan Valley), Basking Ridge (Gladstone Branch), and Bernardsville also hit 10/10 or 9/10. Within the five minutes or so separating each stop, school district quality often matters more than commute time.
What is the median home price in Summit, NJ vs. Westfield, NJ?
As of Q1 2026, Summit's median sale price is approximately $1.45M (Midtown Direct, 44-minute commute, 10/10 schools) while Westfield's median is $1.25M (Raritan Valley Line, 45-minute commute with Newark transfer, 10/10 schools). Summit commands a roughly 15% premium primarily because of its direct-train access.
Which NJ commuter towns are appreciating fastest in 2026?
Year-over-year through Q1 2026: Chatham +10.2%, Westfield +9.7%, Millburn +9.4%, Madison +9.1%, Cranford +8.9%, Summit +8.6%, New Providence / Murray Hill +8.4%, Maplewood +8.1%. The common thread: top schools plus sub-45-minute NYC commute. Dover, Newark, and Bound Brook are appreciating slowest in our coverage area (2–4% YoY).
What is the cheapest NJ commuter town within 45 minutes of NYC?
On Midtown Direct and NEC within 45 minutes of NYC Penn, the most affordable options are Newark (~$375K median, 18-min commute), Newark Airport area (~$375K, 22 min), Elizabeth (~$425K, 25 min), and Linden / Rahway (~$475K, 30–33 min). These trade on price but have weaker school ratings (4–6/10) than suburbs farther west.
What NJ towns have both I-78 and NJ Transit train access?
Towns with both a train station and direct I-78 access include Millburn, Short Hills, Summit, New Providence, Murray Hill, Berkeley Heights, and Union. The Gladstone Branch between Summit and Basking Ridge runs parallel to I-78, which is useful when the train has weekend service gaps.
Is the Raritan Valley Line worth buying on despite the transfer?
Often yes. The transfer at Newark Penn adds 8–12 minutes but buyers who can tolerate it gain access to Westfield (10/10 schools, $1.25M — a $200K discount vs. similar-commute Summit), Cranford (9/10 schools, $725K), Fanwood (9/10, $675K), and Bridgewater (8/10, $675K) for meaningfully less than Midtown Direct equivalents. If your employer has flexible start times, Raritan Valley is the best per-dollar commuter line in the region.