Origin
Danbury, CT
Morning in Danbury on Tuesday
Local time
8:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Danbury, 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
35m
Distance
27.3 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
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 41m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Danbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Waterbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Danbury, CT to Waterbury, CT is 27.3 miles and takes about 35 minutes via I 84, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Connecticut and the Northeast region, offering a straightforward journey. It's primarily a highway-focused drive, making it a quick and efficient option for connecting these two cities. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day trip, allowing you ample time for activities at your destination. Consider this drive when you need a simple and direct transit between these locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 22.6 mi | 25m |
| Newtown Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| White Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| West Main Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Chase Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Library Place | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 84
— 22.6 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Danbury, CT and Waterbury, CT.
1
Start on Library Place
234 ft
·
12 sec
·
Library Place
2
Turn left onto CT 53
436 ft
·
20 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto White Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
White Street
4
Continue on Newtown Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Newtown Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward I 84 East: Waterbury
6
Merge onto I 84
23 mi
·
25 min
·
I 84
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 18
Toward Chase Parkway
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto Chase Parkway
454 ft
·
12 sec
·
Chase Parkway
9
Continue on Chase Parkway
398 ft
·
12 sec
·
Chase Parkway
10
Turn right onto West Main Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
West Main Street
Use the right lane.
11
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
White Street
Turn right onto White Street
Navigation decision point
5
3.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 84
Merge onto I 84
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
25.8 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward Chase Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 18
Toward Chase Parkway
5
26 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
Chase Parkway
Turn right onto Chase Parkway
Navigation decision point
6
26.2 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
West Main Street
Turn right onto West Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.39 one way
$8.79 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.84 | $9.67 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.23 | $10.46 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.03 | $12.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
8:24 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
1 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 route leans heavily towards a highway experience, with 83% of it utilizing major roadways like I 84. You'll encounter the longest uninterrupted stretch of 22.6 miles on I 84, so expect a consistent, faster pace for a significant portion of the trip. While the majority is highway, the initial and final segments might involve local roads like Newtown Road and White Street, offering a slight change of pace before reaching Waterbury. The drive is characterized by its efficiency, prioritizing direct travel over scenic detours.
83% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.6 mi on I 84.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 84 and Newtown Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near White Street.
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 35m drive. You will face about 7 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 (White Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 84): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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.
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 35m. Total distance: 27.3 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (83%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.6 miles on I 84. 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 0.1 miles (White Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.2 miles (I 84): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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