Origin
Grand Isle, VT
Evening in Grand Isle on Friday
Local time
5:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Grand Isle, VT to South Burlington, VT
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
24.9 mi
40 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
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.
Grand Isle, VT
Andrea Davis
South Burlington, VT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Grand Isle to South Burlington is 24.9 miles and takes about 38 minutes via U.S. Route 2 and I 89, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short, largely highway route stays within Vermont, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive, ideal for a quick transfer between locations or as a segment of a larger trip. Given its brevity, you'll likely find it easy to manage without needing an overnight stay, making it a practical choice for efficient travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Route 2 | 14.5 mi | 23m |
| I 89 | 9.1 mi | 11m |
| Williston Road | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| East Shore North | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
U.S. Route 2
— 14.5 mi, about 23m
Traffic on I-89
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,821 veh/hr typical · worst 2,231
Quietest
2 AM
~75 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
24.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 75 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 Grand Isle, VT and South Burlington, VT.
1
Start on East Shore North
225 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Shore North
2
Turn left onto US 2
14 mi
·
23 min
·
U.S. Route 2
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
4
Merge onto I 89
9.1 mi
·
11 min
·
I 89
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
Toward US 2 East: South Burlington
6
Turn straight onto US 2
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Williston Road
7
Continue on US 2
87 ft
·
2 sec
·
Williston Road
8
Arrive at destination
US 2
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
US 2 / U.S. Route 2
Turn left onto US 2 / U.S. Route 2
Navigation decision point
3
14.8 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 89
Merge onto I 89
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
23.9 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward US 2 East: South Burlington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward US 2 East: South Burlington
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.15 one way
$8.30 round trip
$4.23/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $4.60 | $9.21 |
| premium | $5.07 | $4.97 | $9.93 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.49 | $10.98 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.61 | $1.20 |
| Efficient EV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.18 | $1.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
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.
Destination
South Burlington, VT
Evening in South Burlington on Friday
Local time
5:41 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°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
2 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
38m 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 mostly highway, with 95% of the 24.9 miles on freeways. You'll experience a stretch of 14.5 miles on U.S. Route 2 before transitioning onto I 89. Expect a high volume of exits and merges as you approach South Burlington, characteristic of a route that quickly moves between more rural and suburban environments. The transition from surface road to highway is nearly immediate, setting a brisk pace for most of the trip.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
8 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.5 mi on U.S. Route 2.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on U.S. Route 2 and I 89. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 2 / U.S. Route 2.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Grand Isle, VT to South Burlington, VT is easy. At 38m with 95% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 2 / U.S. Route 2): Navigation decision point; at 14.8 miles (I 89): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
316 ft
103 ft
Total Climb
583 ft
Total Descent
439 ft
Highest Point
316 ft
~21.3 mi in
Elevation Range
213 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Grand Isle, VT
Full guide →Grand Isle is a historic island town located in Vermont. It is one of four towns comprising Vermont's "Lake Champlain Islands."
Top landmarks
- • Congregational Church-Grand Isle — church building in Grand Isle, United States of America
- • Hyde Log Cabin — historic log cabin on U.S. Route 2 in Grand Isle, Vermont, United States
- • Gordon-Center House — Grand Isle, Vermont, listed on the NRHP in Grand Isle County
Arriving in South Burlington, VT
Full guide →Founded 1865
South Burlington is a city in Northwest Vermont. It is a suburb of Burlington and is the second largest city in the state. Unlike most sizable Vermont communities, it doesn't have a downtown of any sort since most of the city's development has occurred in the last few decades. The city has intelligently reserved a large tract of land near the busiest intersection in town to construct a downtown, however they haven't yet decided how they want this done. Unfortunately, there's nothing there but a dirt road (possibly the only one in the city) and some trees.
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 38m. Total distance: 24.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.5 miles on U.S. Route 2. 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: near the start (US 2 / U.S. Route 2): Navigation decision point; at 14.8 miles (I 89): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South Burlington, 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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