Origin
Essex Junction, VT
Night in Essex Junction on Sunday
Local time
10:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Essex Junction, VT to Stowe, VT
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
33.8 mi
54 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Essex Junction, VT
Wikimedia Commons
Stowe, VT
Sydney Sang
Trip Overview
The drive from Essex Junction, VT to Stowe, VT covers 33.8 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 89, Waterbury Stowe Road, Essex Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.6 miles on I 89. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.63 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 89 | 19.6 mi | 22m |
| Waterbury Stowe Road | 6.1 mi | 10m |
| Essex Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Waterbury Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| South Main Street | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Saint George Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Park Street | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Vermont Route 100 | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 89
— 19.6 mi, about 22m
Traffic on I-89
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 8 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,230 veh/hr typical · worst 1,587
Quietest
1 AM
~36 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
34.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 74 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Essex Junction, VT and Stowe, 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
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Saint George Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
6
Merge onto I 89
20 mi
·
22 min
·
I 89
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 10
Toward VT 100: Waterbury, Stowe
8
At end of road, turn left onto VT 100
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
Vermont Route 100
9
Continue on VT 100
6.1 mi
·
10 min
·
Waterbury Stowe Road
10
Continue on VT 100
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Waterbury Road
11
Continue on VT 100
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
12
Arrive at destination
VT 100
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 33.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.9 miles from Essex Junction, VT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 3.7 and 23.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
3.7 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
3
4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 89
Merge onto I 89
Merge point - match speed before joining
6
23.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward VT 100: Waterbury, Stowe
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 10
Toward VT 100: Waterbury, Stowe
3
23.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
VT 100 / Vermont Route 100
At end of road, turn left onto VT 100 / Vermont Route 100
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.63 one way
$11.26 round trip
$4.23/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $6.25 | $12.50 |
| premium | $5.07 | $6.74 | $13.48 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.45 | $14.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.55 | $1.62 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.96 | $1.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Stowe, VT
Night in Stowe on Sunday
Local time
10:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
53°F
Duxbury, VT
17 mi in
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
49m 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?
33.8 mi in 49m — 59% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 89.
59% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.6 mi on I 89.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes around 3.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Essex Junction, VT to Stowe, VT is easy. At 49m with 59% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (I 89): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 23.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
803 ft
320 ft
Total Climb
760 ft
Total Descent
386 ft
Highest Point
803 ft
~28.9 mi in
Elevation Range
483 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Essex Junction, VT
Full guide →Founded 1892
Essex is a town in Northwest Vermont. It is the largest town and second most populated place in Vermont. About half the population lives in the village of Essex Junction, which separated from the town of Essex in 2023.
Arriving in Stowe, VT
Full guide →Founded 1763
Stowe is a four-season resort town of 4,400 people (2014) in north-central Vermont at the base of Mount Mansfield—Vermont's highest peak. It is home to Stowe Mountain Ski Resort. It is 10 miles north of Waterbury along Highway 100.
Top landmarks
- • Gold Brook Covered Bridge
- • Stowe Village Historic District — historic district in Vermont, United States
- • Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum — sports museum in Stowe, 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 49m. Total distance: 33.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (59%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.6 miles on I 89. 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 3.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (I 89): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 23.6 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 Stowe, 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, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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