Spanning 99.8 miles through the heart of Vermont, this trip from Burlington to Manchester is a straightforward journey that typically takes 2 hours and 44 minutes. It functions perfectly as a single-day excursion, allowing you to reach your destination without the need for an overnight stay. You can expect to spend approximately $16 on fuel for the trek, making it a budget-friendly option for exploring the Northeast. By sticking primarily to the US 7 corridor, you get a direct path between these two iconic Vermont hubs. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that prioritizes efficiency while keeping you grounded in the familiar scenery of the Green Mountain State.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
49.9 miles from Burlington, VT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 20m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 7
59.3 mi
1h 37m
Ethan Allen Highway
22.5 mi
32m
Shelburne Road
6.8 mi
13m
Main Street
4.5 mi
9m
U.S. Route 7
3.1 mi
4m
Vermont Route 7A
1.6 mi
2m
Shelburne Street
1.2 mi
2m
Saint Paul Street
0.8 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
US 7
— 59.3 mi, about 1h 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Burlington, VT and Manchester, VT.
1
Start on Main Street
504 ft·26 sec·Main Street
2
Turn left onto Saint Paul Street
0.8 mi·1 min·Saint Paul Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on US 7 Alternate
0.1 mi·11 sec·Shelburne Street
4
Enter roundabout onto US 7
111 ft·2 sec·Shelburne Street
5
Continue on US 7
1.0 mi·2 min·Shelburne Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on US 7
6.8 mi·13 min·Shelburne Road
7
Continue on US 7
12 mi·19 min·Ethan Allen Highway
8
Continue on US 7
3.1 mi·4 min·U.S. Route 7
9
Continue on US 7
10 mi·13 min·Ethan Allen Highway
10
Enter roundabout onto US 7
348 ft·16 sec·US 7
Toward VT 125
11
Continue on US 7
59 mi·1 hr 37 min·US 7
Toward VT 125Use the straight lane.
12
Turn right onto VT 7A
1.6 mi·2 min·Vermont Route 7A
13
Continue on VT 7A
3.2 mi·6 min·Main Street
14
Enter roundabout onto VT 7A; VT 30
65 ft·1 sec·Main Street
15
Continue on VT 7A; VT 30
180 ft·4 sec·Main Street
16
Enter roundabout onto VT 7A
94 ft·1 sec·Main Street
17
Continue on VT 7A
0.3 mi·47 sec·Main Street
18
Enter roundabout onto VT 7A
79 ft·1 sec·Main Street
19
Continue on VT 7A
0.8 mi·2 min·Main Street
20
Turn right onto Seminary Avenue
90 ft·3 sec·Seminary Avenue
21
Arrive at destination
Seminary Avenue
Trip Plan
Since the trip is a manageable 2 hours and 44 minutes, you have plenty of flexibility in your schedule to depart whenever suits your plans best. I recommend planning for at least one stop along the way to break up the 99.8-mile drive and keep your focus sharp. Given the length of the longest 59.3-mile stretch on US 7, try to top off your tank before departing Burlington to ensure you stay within your $16 fuel budget without stress. Because this is a relatively short route, you have the advantage of being able to hit the road without needing a complex itinerary. Use the time saved on logistics to enjoy the steady flow of the route through the Vermont landscape.
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.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 49.9 miles from Burlington, VT, or about 1h 20m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 59.3 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 22 miles or 38m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 49.9 miles or 1h 20m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 12m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Manchester, VT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Burlington, VT so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Burlington, VT
This is one driving day of about 99.8 miles and 2h 44m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 22 miles from Burlington, VT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on US 7 for about 59.3 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 11
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 98.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Saint Paul Street
Turn left onto Saint Paul Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
1 mi into trip|~2m in|US 7 / Shelburne Street
Enter roundabout onto US 7 / Shelburne Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
34.5 mi into trip|~55m in|US 7
Enter roundabout onto US 7 toward VT 125
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward VT 125
5
34.5 mi into trip|~55m in|US 7
Right onto US 7 toward VT 125
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward VT 125
5
98.6 mi into trip|~2h 41m in|VT 7A / Main Street
Enter roundabout onto VT 7A / Main Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$16.07 one way
$32.13 round trip
$4.09/gal25.4 MPG avg35 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.50
$17.68
$35.35
premium
$4.86
$19.11
$38.22
diesel
$5.61
$22.03
$44.07
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 34.9 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 66% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
29.9
0
$10.48
$4.79
Efficient EV
25
0
$8.73
$3.99
EV Truck/SUV
39.9
0
$13.97
$6.39
Gas CO2
35 kg
EV CO2
12 kg (66% 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 15, 2026
Origin
Burlington, VT
Late night
in Burlington on Sunday
Local time
2:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Manchester, VT
Late night
in Manchester on Sunday
Local time
2:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
36°F
Brandon, VT
50 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
1 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
2h 44m 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...
22 mi from route
~55 min detour
Free
near mile 68.8
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a drive defined by a mix of infrastructure, with about 64% of your time spent on highways. You will navigate the Ethan Allen Highway and Shelburne Road, which provide a steady pace as you head south. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 59.3 miles on US 7, requiring you to stay alert during this extended period of consistent travel. While the profile is highway-focused, the transition between different road types keeps the experience from feeling monotonous. You will find that the character of the road shifts as you leave the Burlington area and push toward the southern reaches of the state.
64% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 59.3 mi on US 7.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 7 and Ethan Allen Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Saint Paul 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 2h 44m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Saint Paul Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (US 7 / Shelburne Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 34.5 miles (US 7): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 44m. Total distance: 99.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 59.3 miles on US 7. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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: at 0.1 miles (Saint Paul Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (US 7 / Shelburne Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 34.5 miles (US 7): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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 Manchester, VT before heading back.
