Along the route's journey, it passes through a variety of suburban and rural environments, including the communities of Flemington, Somerville, Morristown, Parsippany–Troy Hills, Wayne, and Oakland as well as five counties: Hunterdon, Somerset, Morris, Passaic, and Bergen.

From Somerville to the New York border, US 202 generally runs within a close distance of I-287 and interchanges with that route several times.

North of the Route 53 intersection in Morris Plains, US 202 is maintained by individual counties rather than the New Jersey Department of Transportation with a few exceptions.

Past Alexauken Creek Road, the freeway enters West Amwell Township, where it heads through a mix of woodland and farmland.

[1][3] It comes to a diamond interchange with County Route 605 (Queen Road), which provides access to Mount Airy and Dilts Corner.

[1] The road continues north through farms, reaching commercial development as it approaches the Flemington area.

[3] Past the intersection with County Route 611 (South Main Street), the road widens to six lanes and crosses into Flemington.

[1] Past the Flemington Circle, U.S. Route 202 proceeds northeast on a four-lane arterial road that crosses back into Raritan Township.

[1] It heads through woodland, passing by Northlandz, which is home to the world's largest model railroad in HO scale.

The road crosses the South Branch Raritan River into Readington Township, where it heads east, passing over Norfolk Southern's Lehigh Line north of Three Bridges.

Routes 202 and 206 continue north as a two-lane surface road with residences to the east and corporate parks to the west.

Shortly after Interstate 78, it widens into a four-lane expressway with a Jersey barrier that runs through a mix of commercial and residential areas.

[1] The route heads east through residential areas and crosses the North Branch Raritan River into Far Hills.

[1][3] In Bernardsville, U.S. Route 202 heads through rural areas with trees and fields as Mine Brook Road before reaching the town itself.

From the center of Bernardsville, U.S. Route 202 runs northeast as Morristown Road, crossing into Bernards Township, where it heads through wooded residential areas.

It heads into more heavily forested areas, running to the east of Morristown National Historical Park, before continuing northeast into Morris Township.

Here, U.S. Route 202 continues through woodland, but residences start to increase along the road and it passes by an industrial facility.

[1] Meanwhile, U.S. Route 202 continues north from Park Place on Speedwell Avenue, a two-lane road that heads past numerous downtown businesses.

After passing through the area of corporate parks, the road heads back through suburban neighborhoods before coming to an interchange with Interstate 80.

Past U.S. Route 46, the road continues north, intersecting ramps that provide access to and from southbound Interstate 287.

The routes follow Intervale Road briefly before making a left turn to resume onto Parsippany Boulevard.

[1] Myrtle Avenue carries U.S. Route 202 through commercial areas sandwiched by Interstate 287 to the southeast and NJ Transit’s Montclair-Boonton Line.

The route crosses into Montville, where it becomes Main Road and runs a farther distance from Interstate 287, heading north through residential areas.

The route heads east as a four-lane road running to the south of the railroad tracks through residential areas, narrowing to two lanes.

[1] The two routes continue southeast through wooded residential neighborhoods, eventually running parallel to the Pompton River.

[1] The Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike heads north past some businesses, running a short distance to the east of the Ramapo River, before coming to Terhune Drive, where U.S. Route 202 makes a right turn onto that road with County Route 689 continuing north on Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike.

[3] In Oakland, the route turns east and passes the Long Hill Mall, where it makes a left turn to continue north along Ramapo Valley Road with County Route 93 continuing straight on Long Hill Road.

U.S. Route 202 heads north through commercial areas of the town, where it passes by the Coppertree Mall, before crossing New York, Susquehanna and Western Railway's New Jersey Subdivision line and coming to an interchange with Interstate 287.

[1] Past the Interstate 287 interchange, the road continues northeast through residential areas, crossing into Mahwah.

[19] The portion of this freeway between the Pennsylvania border and the Route 179 interchange in Ringoes was legislated in 1969 with the New Hope–Lambertville Toll Bridge opening in 1971.