A crowd at the 2018 Fourth of July Festival in Jersey City. (Adrienne J. Romero / The Jersey Journal)
Many Hudson County municipalities—and across the river—are hosting celebrations for Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day, which is also celebrating the country’s 250th anniversary.
And with these major celebrations, comes major travel advisories.
Hudson County is enforcing major travel advisories, large scale road closures and traffic restrictions from Friday, July 3 through Sunday, July 5. The holiday festivities often come with delay issues on the road. We will be breaking down by area how to navigate the streets.
This year the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks will be visible from the lower side of the Hudson River in collaboration with Jersey City’s celebration. The city is doing a four-part free concert series across four city parks and a day-long festival on Montgomery Street.
The Hudson County 4th of July Freedom & Fireworks Festival takes place at Exchange Place along the Hudson River waterfront. The event stretches across Montgomery, Warren, Washington and Hudson Streets.
If you’re traveling this weekend, here’s what you should know to prepare.
Jersey City (largest closure zone)
The heaviest closures are around Exchange Place and the downtown waterfront.
Major affected areas include:
- Exchange Place
- Hudson Street
- Greene Street
- Washington Boulevard
- Montgomery Street
- Columbus Drive
- York Street
- Grand Street
- Morris Street
- Sussex Street
- Essex Street
- Harbor Boulevard/Harborside area
Many east-to-west streets between Washington Boulevard and the waterfront are closed, creating a large pedestrian only area for the fireworks festival.
Hoboken
The mile-square town will be putting on a festival at Pier 13, featuring a fireworks show, DJs, food trucks and more. It will start at 12 p.m.
For tickets and more information, you can click here.
Closures extend almost continuously along the waterfront:
- Sinatra Drive
- River Street near the waterfront
- Newark Street to the waterfront
- 1st, 2nd and 3rd Streets at River Street
- Parts of Hudson Street
- Several piers and waterfront access roads
Temporary No Parking
The City will also post Temporary No Parking signs in the following locations from 4 a.m. on July 4 through 2 a.m. on July 5:
- Both sides of First Street between River and Washington Streets
- West side of River Street between First and Third Streets
- Both sides of Second Street between River and Washington Streets
- Both sides of Hudson Street between Newark and First Streets
- Both Sides of 16th Street between Willow and Park Avenues
- Both Sides of Newark Street between Sinatra Drive and River Street
- West side of Willow Avenue between 14th and 16th Streets
- Both sides of Second Street between River and Hudson Streets
- West side of Clinton Street between Third and Fourth Streets
- East side of River Street between First and Second Streets
- Both sides of Hudson Street between First and Second Streets
- West side of Sinatra Drive between First and Fourth Streets
No parking will be allowed in the following location between 7 a.m. on July 3 and 10 p.m. on July 5:
- Clinton Street between Seventh and Eighth Streets
No parking will be allowed in the following location between 8 p.m. on July 3 and 2 a.m. on July 5:
- Hudson Street between First and Second Streets
For more information regarding temporary no parking zones, CLICK HERE.
Street Closures
The following streets will be closed on July 4 at 8 a.m.:
- Sinatra Drive from Newark Street to 11th Street
- Newark, First, Second, and Third Streets from River Street to Sinatra Drive. (Garage access will be maintained)
- 16th Street between Willow and Park Avenues
Downtown Hoboken will be difficult to drive through after the afternoon, and officials strongly recommend using transit instead of driving.
For more information, refer to Hoboken’s official town page.
North Hudson
While no major festivals are planned in the North Hudson area, there are still a number of traffic advisories.
From the Lincoln Tunnel to 71st Street alongside Boulevard East, there will be no parking enforcement starting July 3 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on July 5.
Weehawken
A very large number of streets around Port Imperial are closed.
This includes:
- Port Imperial Boulevard
- Numerous residential streets east of Boulevard East
- Roads surrounding the ferry terminal
- Lincoln Tunnel waterfront approaches
This is one of the most extensive closure areas because it’s a major fireworks viewing location.
West New York
Closures continue north from Weehawken:
- Waterfront roads
- Streets connecting to Boulevard East
- Port Imperial area
- Residential streets overlooking the Hudson
Smaller closures
There are also isolated closures:
- Near Route 440/Bayfront in Jersey City
- Several waterfront access roads farther north
How To Get There
If you are traveling, the PATH is still the best way into Jersey City and Hoboken.
The Hudson Bergen Light Rail runs close to many closure areas and some stations may have restricted access due to crowd control.
Driving in these areas is not recommended due to heavy congestion. The biggest areas impacted by the 4th of July are Exchange Place, Downtown Hoboken, Port Imperial, West New York and other scattered waterfront roads.
To find more information on festival information and travel advisories, be sure to check your town’s official website or social media:
- Jersey City
- Bayonne
- Secaucus
- Kearny
- Harrison
- East Newark
- Hoboken
- Weehawken
- Guttenberg
- Union City
- West New York
- North Bergen
