Origin
Essex Junction, VT
Morning in Essex Junction on Sunday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Essex Junction, VT to Charlotte, VT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
19.4 mi
31 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 31m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Essex Junction, VT
Wikimedia Commons
Charlotte, VT
Andrea Davis
Trip Overview
Spanning just 19.4 miles, the drive from Essex Junction to Charlotte is a quick, efficient trip through the Vermont countryside. You can comfortably complete this journey in about 33 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. Navigating via a combination of I-89, the Ethan Allen Highway, and Shelburne Road, you will stay entirely within the Northeast region. With a fuel cost of approximately $3, this is an incredibly budget-friendly outing for locals or visitors alike. Because the trip is so brief, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or multiple stops along the way. It serves as a straightforward connection between two charming Vermont communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Shelburne Road | 6.8 mi | 13m |
| I 89 | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| Ethan Allen Highway | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Essex Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| I 189 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Saint George Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Ferry Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Park Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Shelburne Road
— 6.8 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Essex Junction, VT and Charlotte, VT.
1
Start on VT 15
79 ft
·
5 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto VT 2A
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Park Street
3
Continue on VT 2A
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Essex Road
4
Continue on VT 2A
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Saint George Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
6
Merge onto I 89
3.3 mi
·
3 min
·
I 89
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 189 West: Shelburne, Rutland
Use the slight right lane.
8
Continue on I 189
1.4 mi
·
2 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 55 decision points cluster between mile 3.6 and 18.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
3.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
3
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 89
Merge onto I 89
Merge point - match speed before joining
7
7.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward I 189 West: Shelburne, Rutland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 189 West: Shelburne, Rutland
6
8.8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
US 7 / Shelburne Road
Turn left onto US 7 / Shelburne Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
18.7 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
VT F5 / Ferry Road
Turn right onto VT F5 / Ferry Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.12 one way
$6.25 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.44 | $6.87 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.72 | $7.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.28 | $8.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 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 | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.70 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
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 Sunday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
33m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy, local driving experience that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. While about 24% of your journey utilizes the highway, the majority of the trip involves navigating local roads that demand your full attention. You will encounter a longest uninterrupted stretch of 6.8 miles along Shelburne Road, which provides the most consistent pace of the entire drive. The transition from the faster sections of I-89 to the more technical local roads gives the route a varied personality that shifts as you head south. It is less of a monotonous cruise and more of a hands-on navigation through the regional landscape.
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?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 3.6 miles in.
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 33m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (I 89): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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 Essex Junction, VT to Charlotte, VT, road signs begin pointing toward Rutland along the way.
Rutland
7.1 mi in
|
~11m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 19.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (24%). Straightforward navigation.
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.
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 3.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 3.8 miles (I 89): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. 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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