Origin
Colchester, VT
Morning in Colchester on Tuesday
Local time
6:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Colchester, VT to Charlotte, VT
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
35m
Distance
20 mi
32 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Colchester, VT
Wikimedia Commons
Charlotte, VT
Andrea Davis
Trip Overview
Spanning just 20 miles, this quick trip from Colchester to Charlotte is a straightforward journey that easily fits into a single day. You can expect to spend about 35 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal outing if you are looking for a short, manageable excursion. With a modest fuel cost of approximately $3, it is an economical way to navigate through the Northeast. Because the duration is so brief, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or complex logistics. Whether you are running errands or heading out for a change of scenery, this route offers a simple transit between these two Vermont towns.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Shelburne Road | 6.8 mi | 13m |
| I 89 | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Roosevelt Highway | 3.3 mi | 6m |
| Ethan Allen Highway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| I 189 | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Ferry Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| East Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Shelburne Road
— 6.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Colchester, VT and Charlotte, VT.
1
Start on East Road
100 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Road
2
Turn right onto VT 2A
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
3
Keep slight left at fork onto Main Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Main Street
4
Turn slight left onto US 2; US 7
3.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Roosevelt Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 89 South: Burlington
Use the left lane.
6
Merge onto I 89
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
I 89
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 189 West: Shelburne, Rutland
8
Merge onto I 189
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
I 189
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
Turn left onto US 7
6.8 mi
·
13 min
·
Shelburne Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Continue on US 7
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Ethan Allen Highway
11
Turn right onto VT F5
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Ferry Road
12
Arrive at destination
VT F5
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.8 and 9.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Main Street
Keep slight left at fork onto Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
4.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the ramp toward I 89 South: Burlington
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 89 South: Burlington
5
8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 189 West: Shelburne, Rutland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 189 West: Shelburne, Rutland
5
8.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 189
Merge onto I 189
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
9.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
US 7 / Shelburne Road
Turn left onto US 7 / Shelburne Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.22 one way
$6.44 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.54 | $7.09 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.83 | $7.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.42 | $8.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6 | 0 | $2.10 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Charlotte, VT
Morning in Charlotte on Tuesday
Local time
6:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°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
18 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
35m 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?
This 20-mile path is essentially a turn-heavy local drive that demands your attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will transition across a mix of routes, including the Roosevelt Highway, I-89, and Shelburne Road. Only about 24% of your time will be spent on highways, meaning the majority of the trip involves navigating local roads. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during a 6.8-mile segment on Shelburne Road, which serves as the primary backbone of the drive. Expect a hands-on experience as you transition between these different road types throughout your 35-minute transit.
Only 24% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.8 mi on Shelburne Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.8 miles in near Main Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 20 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.8 miles (Main Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8 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.
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 Colchester, VT to Charlotte, VT, road signs begin pointing toward Rutland along the way.
Rutland
8 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Starting in Colchester, VT
Full guide →Colchester is a town in Northwest Vermont. It is home to Saint Michael's College. Colchester is primarily a bedroom community of Burlington. The town is very spread out, with most businesses and residences clustered in three villages: Colchester village, Mallet's Bay, and Severance Corners. St. Michael's College is located in the southeast corner of the town near Winooski and Essex Junction.
Arriving in Charlotte, VT
Full guide →Charlotte is in Chittenden County, Vermont.
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 35m. Total distance: 20 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.8 miles on Shelburne Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Charlotte, VT 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.
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 0.8 miles (Main Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Charlotte, VT 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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