Origin
Essex, CT
Morning in Essex on Tuesday
Local time
9:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Essex, CT to New Britain, 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
40m
Distance
32.4 mi
52 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 38m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Essex, CT
Wikimedia Commons
New Britain, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Essex, CT to New Britain, CT is 32.4 miles and takes about 40 minutes via CT 9, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused trip entirely within Connecticut, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its short duration and predominantly highway nature, it's ideal for a quick commute or a brief intercity hop. You'll spend most of your time on the highway, making it an efficient way to get from your starting point to your destination without extensive detours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 9 | 29.8 mi | 35m |
| South Main Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Methodist Hill | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Prospect Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| New Britain Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Whiting Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Pratt Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 9
— 29.8 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Essex, CT and New Britain, CT.
1
Start on Pratt Street
101 ft
·
6 sec
·
Pratt Street
2
Enter roundabout onto West Avenue
27 ft
·
0 sec
·
West Avenue
3
Continue on West Avenue
96 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Avenue
4
Turn slight right onto Methodist Hill
383 ft
·
10 sec
·
Methodist Hill
5
Continue on Prospect Street
353 ft
·
9 sec
·
Prospect Street
6
Continue on West Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
19 sec
Toward CT 9 North
8
Merge onto CT 9
30 mi
·
35 min
·
CT 9
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
31 sec
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 1
Toward CT 71: Kensington
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto CT 71
241 ft
·
4 sec
·
New Britain Road
12
Continue on CT 71
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
13
Turn right
195 ft
·
21 sec
14
Turn left onto Whiting Street
154 ft
·
4 sec
·
Whiting Street
15
Arrive at destination
Whiting Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Avenue
Enter roundabout onto West Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CT 9
Merge onto CT 9
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
30.8 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
31.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward CT 71: Kensington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1
Toward CT 71: Kensington
5
32.4 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Whiting Street
Turn left onto Whiting Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.22 one way
$10.43 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $5.74 | $11.48 |
| premium | $4.86 | $6.20 | $12.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.15 | $14.31 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.3 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 | 9.7 | 0 | $3.40 | $1.56 |
| Efficient EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.30 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13 | 0 | $4.54 | $2.07 |
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
New Britain, CT
Morning in New Britain on Tuesday
Local time
9:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
19 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
40m 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 drive is overwhelmingly highway-focused, with 92% of the route utilizing major roadways. The majority of your journey, a continuous stretch of 29.8 miles, will be on CT 9. Expect a fast-paced experience for most of the 40 minutes, characterized by easy cruising and minimal interaction with local traffic. The transition to South Main Street and then West Avenue will mark the final approach to New Britain, where the pace will naturally slow as you enter the city.
92% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 29.8 mi on CT 9.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 9 and South Main Street. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 32.4 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1 miles (CT 9): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in New Britain, CT
Full guide →Founded 1850
New Britain is a city in Connecticut. The "Hardware City" is the official nickname of the city.
Top landmarks
- • New Britain Museum of American Art — art museum in New Britain, Connecticut
- • Walnut Hill Park — a large public park west of downtown New Britain, Connecticut, United States of...
- • Sloper-Wesoly House — historic house in Connecticut, United States
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 40m. Total distance: 32.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (92%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 29.8 miles on CT 9. 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 New Britain, CT 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 1 miles (CT 9): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at New Britain, 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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