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Trip from East Haven, CT to Fairfield, CT

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

39m

Distance

27.1 mi

44 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 36m ★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States

East Haven, CT

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Fairfield, CT, CT

Fairfield, CT

David Kanigan

Trip Overview

East Haven, CT to Fairfield, CT is 27.1 miles and takes about 39m via I 95 and Frontage Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically Connecticut, making it a convenient local journey. Expect a drive primarily focused on highway travel, which means you'll cover ground quickly. It's a straightforward connection between two points, ideal if you're looking for an efficient way to get from one coastal town to another without much fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 24.8 mi 34m
Frontage Road 0.6 mi <1m
Saltonstall Parkway 0.5 mi <1m
Mill Plain Road 0.3 mi <1m
Hemingway Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Post Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 24.8 mi, about 34m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between East Haven, CT and Fairfield, CT.

1

Start on Hemingway Avenue

0.3 mi · 32 sec · Hemingway Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
2

Turn left onto US 1

0.5 mi · 50 sec · Saltonstall Parkway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
3

Continue on US 1

0.6 mi · 46 sec · Frontage Road
4

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
Toward I 95 South
5

Merge onto I 95

25 mi · 34 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Exit 21 Toward Mill Plain Road Use the slight right lane.
7

Turn left onto Mill Plain Road

0.3 mi · 39 sec · Mill Plain Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
8

Turn right onto US 1

186 ft · 3 sec · Post Road
9

Arrive at destination

US 1

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 26.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 1 / Saltonstall Parkway

Turn left onto US 1 / Saltonstall Parkway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight / right lanes.
4
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the exit toward I 95 South

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Toward I 95 South
5
1.6 mi into trip | ~2m in | I 95

Merge onto I 95

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
26.5 mi into trip | ~37m in

Take the exit toward Mill Plain Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 21 Toward Mill Plain Road
5
26.8 mi into trip | ~38m in | Mill Plain Road

Turn left onto Mill Plain Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.36 one way

$8.73 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $4.80 $9.60
premium $4.86 $5.19 $10.38
diesel $5.61 $5.98 $11.97

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.1 0 $2.85 $1.30
Efficient EV 6.8 0 $2.37 $1.08
EV Truck/SUV 10.8 0 $3.79 $1.73

Gas CO2

9 kg

EV CO2

3 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

East Haven, CT

Late night in East Haven on Tuesday

Local time

5:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fairfield, CT

Late night in Fairfield on Tuesday

Local time

5:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

45°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

3 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?

This route is overwhelmingly a highway-focused drive, with 93% of the journey taking place on major roads like I-95. You'll experience a consistent pace for the majority of the trip, including one continuous stretch of 24.8 miles on I-95. While the main roads dominate, there are brief transitions onto Frontage Road and Saltonstall Parkway, offering minor variations in the driving experience. Overall, prepare for a brisk, direct drive where efficiency is the main characteristic.

93% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.8 mi on I 95.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Frontage Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near US 1 / Saltonstall Parkway.

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 6 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 (US 1 / Saltonstall Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 1.6 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Starting in East Haven, CT

Full guide →

East Haven is a town in Connecticut three minutes' drive from New Haven and 35 miles from Hartford. It is part of the Greater New Haven area, founded in 1683. The town's population was 28,000 as of 2020. While East Haven has been well-known for a large Italian-American population, the town has received many newer immigrants, particularly from Ecuador, since the late 20th century. The shape of the town is vertically long, and split into three different areas: Foxon, the Center, and Momauguin. Foxon is the northernmost section and is surrounded Branford and North Branford as well as New Haven. The Center is not geographically the center of town, but contains the town hall, library, and the green, surrounded by a suburban area. Momauguin, to the south, borders New Haven along the coastline and contains the Tweed New Haven Regional Airport.

Arriving in Fairfield, CT

Full guide →

Fairfield is a city in Connecticut.

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: 27.1 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 (93%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.8 miles on I 95. 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 (US 1 / Saltonstall Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 1.6 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Fairfield, 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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