Origin
Bridgeport, CT
Morning in Bridgeport on Tuesday
Local time
8:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bridgeport, CT to Waterbury, 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
39m
Distance
30.4 mi
49 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bridgeport, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Waterbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 30.4-mile drive from Bridgeport, CT to Waterbury, CT is a quick trip that can easily be completed in under an hour, making it perfect for a single day. The route primarily utilizes CT 8, with brief sections on Riverside Street and Fairfield Avenue, and is largely a highway-focused experience. With a modest fuel cost estimate of around $5, this drive offers an efficient way to travel between these two Northeast locations. Given its short distance and duration, it doesn't require an overnight stay, allowing for maximum flexibility in your travel plans.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 8 | 29.1 mi | 36m |
| Riverside Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Fairfield Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 8
— 29.1 mi, about 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bridgeport, CT and Waterbury, CT.
1
Start on CT 130
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Fairfield Avenue
2
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward CT 8, CT 25 North: Trumbull, Waterbury
3
Merge onto CT 8; CT 25
2.7 mi
·
2 min
·
CT 8; CT 25
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 8
26 mi
·
32 min
·
CT 8
Toward CT 8 North: Waterbury, New Haven
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on CT 8
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
CT 8
Exit 31
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 30B
Toward Downtown, Waterbury
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn straight onto Riverside Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Riverside Street
8
Continue on Riverside Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Riverside Street
9
Turn right onto West Main Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
West Main Street
10
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 30.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward CT 8, CT 25 North: Trumbull, Waterbury
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward CT 8, CT 25 North: Trumbull, Waterbury
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CT 8; CT 25
Merge onto CT 8; CT 25
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
3.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
CT 8
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 8 toward CT 8 North: Waterbury, New Haven
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward CT 8 North: Waterbury, New Haven
8
29.6 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward Downtown, Waterbury
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 30B
Toward Downtown, Waterbury
5
30.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
West Main Street
Turn right onto West Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.89 one way
$9.79 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $5.38 | $10.77 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.82 | $11.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.71 | $13.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.26 | $1.95 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Waterbury, CT
Morning in Waterbury on Tuesday
Local time
8:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
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
14 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
39m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive, with 96% of the journey on faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 29.1 miles on CT 8, indicating a consistent flow for much of the trip. This means you'll likely experience a steady pace without many abrupt slowdowns. While the highway percentage suggests a straightforward commute, keep an eye out for the transitions onto Riverside Street and Fairfield Avenue as you approach your destination.
96% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.1 mi on CT 8.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 8 and Riverside Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 39m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.5 miles (CT 8; CT 25): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (CT 8): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. 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.
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 Bridgeport, CT to Waterbury, CT, road signs begin pointing toward New Haven along the way.
New Haven
3.2 mi in
|
~3m
|
via CT 8
About the Cities
Arriving in Waterbury, CT
Full guide →Waterbury is a small city in Connecticut that calls itself Brass City because its industrial base was built on metal industries, including silver, but particularly brass. It is a pleasant city to visit, with a historic downtown, nearby parks, and culinary attractions like a chocolate factory and artisanal bakeries.
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 39m. Total distance: 30.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (96%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29.1 miles on CT 8. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.3 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.5 miles (CT 8; CT 25): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.2 miles (CT 8): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Waterbury, 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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