Tabor Road was part of the pre-1927 state highway system, as part of NJ 5, but it was not included in the 1927 designation of most of old NJ 5 as NJ 6 (which became US 46). As a result, the road was something of an orphan, part of a connection between Denville and Morristown that also included a portion of what became US 202. NJ 32 was legislated to run from Bedminster to Mountain View (part of Wayne), and US 202 is designated over that road, but the state only took over the road between Bedminster and Mount Tabor, the south end of old NJ 5. This highway, once designated NJ 5N, continues to connect the end of the state-maintained US 202 with US 46.
When US 46 was moved off Bloomfield Avenue (which becomes Main Street) in Denville, the north end of NJ 53 did not change. NJ 53 still ends at Bloomfield Avenue, even though that street is now under the jurisdiction of Denville Township.
| Mile | Street Name | Feature | ||
| 4.66 | Northern terminus of , Denville Twp, Morris Co |
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| 4.66 | East Main St | Main St |  |
Bloomfield Ave |
| 4.63 | East Main St |  |
underpass | |
| 4.59 | East Main St | Den Brook | bridge | Den Brook |
| 4.56 | East Main St |  |
underpass | |
| 4.49 | East Main St | Indian Rd | |
Hall Ave |
| 4.22 | East Main St | Lackawanna Railroad wye | underpass | Lackawanna Railroad wye |
| 4.13 | East Main St | Lackawanna Railroad | underpass | Lackawanna Railroad |
| 4.08 | East Main St | Estling Lake Rd | |
Luger Rd |
| 3.83 | East Main St | Lackawanna Ave | |
Fox Hill Rd |
| 3.46 | East Main St | Station Rd | |
Dickerson Rd |
| 3.36 | |
Denville Twp, Morris Co Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp, Morris Co |
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| 2.70 | Tabor Rd | |
Park Rd | |
| 1.54 | Tabor Rd |  |
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| 1.54 | Tabor Rd | Parsippany-Troy Hills Twp, Morris Co Morris Plains Boro, Morris Co |
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| 0.95 | Tabor Rd | Plant entrance | |
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| 0.74 | Tabor Rd | Plant entrance | |
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| 0.00 | Tabor Rd |  Littleton Rd |
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Littleton Rd |
| 0.00 | Southern terminus of , Morris Plains Boro, Morris Co |
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