Getting around Washington: public transport, passes and taxis

Washington has no station and no useful bus loop of its own, so the choice is really between driving yourself and paying someone to drive you. Everything below is a 2026 estimate; confirm times and fares before you rely on them.

A car is the practical answer here. The borough itself is small enough to walk, but the things people come for — the Morris County parks, the surrounding small towns, day trips further out — sit kilometres apart with no reliable transit between them. Roads are straightforward and traffic is light outside the Route 80 and Route 46 commuter peaks.

Parking in the borough centre is generally free or inexpensive, with street spaces and small lots; larger lots sit near the main streets. Check signage for time limits. Fuel is widely available along Route 46 and Route 80.

If you are coming from outside the US, note that the parent country guidance applies: rental rates run about US$45–110 a day before insurance and fees, one-way drop charges can be steep, and drivers under 25 usually pay a surcharge. Liability cover in the base rate is low in many states — check before you drive off.

Washington borough has no rail station. The nearest NJ Transit stops on the Morris & Essex line are Hackettstown to the west and Netcong to the north, both a short drive away; from there trains run east toward Morristown, Newark and New York Penn Station. Journey times and fares depend on the station and the time of day, so check the timetable before you plan a day around it.

NJ Transit buses also serve parts of Morris County, but routes are limited and frequencies are low outside commuter hours. For most visitors the bus is a fallback, not a plan.

If you want to travel car-free for the whole trip, Morristown is the better base: it has a station on the same line and a denser centre. From Washington you would be driving to the train every time.

Uber and Lyft both operate in Morris County, but coverage is thinner than in Newark or New York. Expect a five to twenty minute wait in the borough and longer at odd hours; surge pricing appears at commuter peaks and on weekend evenings. Airport runs to Newark Liberty are the expensive case, so price it in the app before you commit.

Local taxi firms take pre-booked runs, which is the safer option for a very early train or flight. Tipping follows the national norm: 15–20%, added in the app for ride-hailing.

The table above gives the bands. In practice a car-free day of two ride-hail trips plus a train fare can cost more than a day's car rental, which is why most visitors here drive. If you are staying in the borough and only moving around it, walking costs nothing and parking is cheap.