Bethel, VT to Colchester, VT is 72.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 32 minutes via I-89 and VT-289, with a fuel budget near $12 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Vermont, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its mostly highway profile and short duration, it's a straightforward day trip. Plan for a quick and efficient drive between these two locations.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
36.1 miles from Bethel, VT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 45m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 89
55.7 mi
1h 4m
Vermont Route 289
4.5 mi
6m
River Road
2.9 mi
4m
Vermont Route 117
2.8 mi
4m
Vermont Route 107
2 mi
3m
Main Street
1.5 mi
2m
North Main Street
1.3 mi
2m
Colchester Road
0.8 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 89
— 55.7 mi, about 1h 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bethel, VT and Colchester, VT.
1
Start on Cushing Drive
194 ft·14 sec·Cushing Drive
2
Turn left onto North Main Street
1.3 mi·2 min·North Main Street
3
Continue on VT 107
2.0 mi·3 min·Vermont Route 107
4
Turn left
0.4 mi·49 sec
Toward I 89 North
5
Merge onto I 89
56 mi·1 hr 4 min·I 89
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi·49 sec
Exit 11Toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
7
Turn right onto US 2
187 ft·6 sec·West Main Street
8
Turn right onto VT 117
0.8 mi·1 min·River Road
9
Continue on VT 117
2.8 mi·4 min·Vermont Route 117
10
Continue on VT 117
2.0 mi·3 min·River Road
11
Turn right onto VT 289
4.5 mi·6 min·Vermont Route 289
Toward VT 289 West
12
At end of road, turn right onto VT 2A
0.8 mi·1 min·Colchester Road
Use the right lane.
13
Continue on VT 2A
1.5 mi·2 min·Main Street
14
Turn right onto East Road
100 ft·2 sec·East Road
15
Arrive at destination
East Road
Trip Plan
For this 1 hour and 32-minute drive, you can leave anytime and still make good time. With only 72.3 miles, there's no need to plan for overnight stops. You can easily complete this trip in one day with minimal rest breaks, though having about $12 for fuel is a good estimate. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge as the longest stretch without services is 55.7 miles on I-89.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 36.1 miles from Bethel, VT, or about 45m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 55.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 16 miles or 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36.1 miles or 45m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 15m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colchester, VT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Bethel, VT so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Bethel, VT
This is one driving day of about 72.3 miles and 1h 32m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 16 miles from Bethel, VT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on I 89 for about 55.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 9
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 72.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|North Main Street
Turn left onto North Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
3.3 mi into trip|~6m in
Turn left toward I 89 North
Navigation decision point
Toward I 89 North
6
59.4 mi into trip|~1h 11m in
Take the exit toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 11
Toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
7
70 mi into trip|~1h 28m in|VT 2A / Colchester Road
At end of road, turn right onto VT 2A / Colchester Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
72.2 mi into trip|~1h 32m in|East Road
Turn right onto East Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.64 one way
$23.28 round trip
$4.09/gal25.4 MPG avg25 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.50
$12.81
$25.61
premium
$4.86
$13.85
$27.69
diesel
$5.61
$15.96
$31.93
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
21.7
0
$7.59
$3.47
Efficient EV
18.1
0
$6.33
$2.89
EV Truck/SUV
28.9
0
$10.12
$4.63
Gas CO2
25 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (68% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026
Origin
Bethel, VT
Late night
in Bethel on Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Colchester, VT
Late night
in Colchester on Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
61°F
Waterbury, VT
36 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
2 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 32m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Walk through one of Vermont's most beautiful landscapes under the shade of the Mount Tom Forest, the oldest continuously managed scientific forest in the United States. This is a landscape of loss, re...
13 mi from route
~34 min detour
Free
near mile 2.5
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is primarily highway driving, with 90% of the 72.3 miles on interstates. You'll experience a longest stretch of 55.7 miles on I-89 before transitioning to surface roads. Expect frequent exits and merges as you navigate the interstate sections.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 55.7 mi on I 89.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 89 and Vermont Route 289. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Main Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 32m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 59.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Bethel, VT to Colchester, VT, road signs begin pointing toward Williston along the way.
Williston
59.4 mi in|~1h 11m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 32m. Total distance: 72.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 55.7 miles on I 89. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 3 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through VT can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles: Navigation decision point; at 59.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Colchester, VT before heading back.
