Origin
Branford, CT
Morning in Branford on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Branford, CT to Danbury, CT
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 11m
Distance
42 mi
68 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 6m
★
6 AM
1h 12m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Branford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Danbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a transit across Connecticut, this 42-mile journey from Branford to Danbury is an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. You should anticipate a travel time of approximately 1 hour and 11 minutes, making it a manageable excursion that fits easily into a morning or afternoon. Budgeting about $7 for fuel will cover your transit costs for this mixed-drive route. Because the trip is relatively short, there is no need to worry about overnight accommodations or complicated logistics. You will be traveling entirely within the Northeast region, transitioning between two distinct Connecticut hubs without the need for extensive travel planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 10.5 mi | 12m |
| Roosevelt Drive | 7.9 mi | 15m |
| Berkshire Road | 4.8 mi | 9m |
| Derby Turnpike | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| West Main Street | 2 mi | 3m |
| New Haven Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Forbes Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Columbus Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 84
— 10.5 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Branford, CT and Danbury, CT.
1
Start on CT 146
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
2
Continue on US 1
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
West Main Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on US 1
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Saltonstall Parkway
4
Continue on US 1
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
Frontage Road
5
Continue on US 1
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Forbes Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on US 1
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Water Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
At end of road, turn left onto US 1
277 ft
·
4 sec
·
State Street
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on US 1
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Union Avenue
Use the straight lane.
9
Turn right onto Columbus Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Columbus Avenue
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on US 1
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Boston Post Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Cellini Place
351 ft
·
17 sec
·
Cellini Place
12
Turn right onto CT 122
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Forest Road
13
Turn left onto CT 34
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
Derby Avenue
Use the left lane.
14
Continue on CT 34
4.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Derby Turnpike
15
Continue on CT 34
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
New Haven Avenue
16
Continue on CT 34
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Derby Avenue
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn left onto CT 34
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
18
Continue on CT 34
7.9 mi
·
15 min
·
Roosevelt Drive
19
Continue on CT 34
4.8 mi
·
9 min
·
Berkshire Road
20
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
21
Keep slight left at fork
0.7 mi
·
1 min
22
Merge onto I 84; US 6
10 mi
·
12 min
·
I 84; US 6
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
23
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 5
Toward CT 39, CT 53: Downtown Danbury, Bethel
Use the slight right lane.
24
Turn right onto CT 39
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
25
Turn right onto Library Place
234 ft
·
10 sec
·
Library Place
26
Arrive at destination
Library Place
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21 miles from Branford, CT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 6.5 and 41 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 1 / State Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 1 / State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
6.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Columbus Avenue
Turn right onto Columbus Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
16.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
CT 34 / Main Street
Turn left onto CT 34 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
30.5 mi into trip
|
~56m in
|
I 84; US 6
Merge onto I 84; US 6
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
41 mi into trip
|
~1h 9m in
Take the exit toward CT 39, CT 53: Downtown Danbury, Bethel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5
Toward CT 39, CT 53: Downtown Danbury, Bethel
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.76 one way
$13.52 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $7.44 | $14.88 |
| premium | $4.86 | $8.04 | $16.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.27 | $18.55 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.33
Derby Turnpike
(4.7 mi)
$0.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$0
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.41 | $2.02 |
| Efficient EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.88 | $2.69 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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.
Destination
Danbury, CT
Morning in Danbury on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
SW 10 mph
30% chance
Live forecast
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
32 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 11m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a varied experience behind the wheel as you navigate this 42-mile stretch. The route is defined by a mixed-drive profile, with approximately 38% of your time spent on highways like I-84 and the remainder on local roads such as Roosevelt Drive and Berkshire Road. You will find that the rhythm of the drive shifts frequently, moving from the open flow of the interstate to the more focused pace of regional thoroughfares. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs on I-84, lasting for 10.5 miles before you transition back to local surfaces. This combination prevents the monotony of a purely interstate grind while keeping your total travel time efficient.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.5 mi on I 84.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.5 miles in near US 1 / State Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 42 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.5 miles (US 1 / State Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (Columbus Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 miles (CT 34 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Branford, CT
Full guide →Branford is a city of 28,000 people (2014) in the Greater New Haven region of Connecticut. Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places (NRHp). These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture. Five NRHP-listed districts are Branford Center Historic District, Branford Point Historic District, Canoe Brook Historic District, Route 146 Historic District, and Stony Creek-Thimble Islands Historic District.
Arriving in Danbury, CT
Full guide →Danbury - nicknamed Hat City - is a city in the interior of Fairfield County, Connecticut, making it part of the Litchfield Hills region.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 11m. Total distance: 42 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.5 miles on I 84. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.33 in tolls one way, starting with Derby Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Danbury, CT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 6.5 miles (US 1 / State Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (Columbus Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.3 miles (CT 34 / Main Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Weir Farm 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 Danbury, CT before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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