Origin
Groton, CT
Morning in Groton on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Groton, CT to New Haven, 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
1h 3m
Distance
49.4 mi
79 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Groton, CT
Wikimedia Commons
New Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between Groton and New Haven, you are in for a straightforward, 49.4-mile trip through the Northeast. Expect to spend about 1 hour and 3 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. You will primarily follow I-95 before transitioning onto Forbes Avenue and Water Street to reach your destination. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $8, this is an incredibly efficient commute between these two Connecticut hubs. Because the entire journey takes place within the same state, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the drive. This is a practical, no-nonsense route that prioritizes speed and directness over leisure travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 44.5 mi | 54m |
| Forbes Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Water Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Chapel Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Frontage Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Mitchell Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Olive Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 44.5 mi, about 54m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Groton, CT and New Haven, CT.
1
Start on Smith Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Smith Street
2
Turn right onto Allen Street
446 ft
·
24 sec
·
Allen Street
3
Turn left onto Mitchell Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Mitchell Street
4
Continue on North Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
North Street
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
6
Merge onto I 95; US 1
45 mi
·
54 min
·
I 95; US 1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 51
Toward US 1: Frontage Road, Lighthouse Point
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto US 1
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
·
Frontage Road
9
Continue on US 1
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Forbes Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on US 1
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Water Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Olive Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Olive Street
12
Turn left onto Chapel Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Chapel Street
13
Turn right onto College Street
343 ft
·
5 sec
·
College Street
14
Arrive at destination
College Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.7 miles from Groton, CT, 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
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 49.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Allen Street
Turn right onto Allen Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.4 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
I 95; US 1
Merge onto I 95; US 1
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
45.9 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Frontage Road, Lighthouse Point
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 51
Toward US 1: Frontage Road, Lighthouse Point
4
48.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
|
Olive Street
Turn right onto Olive Street
Navigation decision point
4
49.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
College Street
Turn right onto College Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.95 one way
$15.91 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $8.75 | $17.50 |
| premium | $4.86 | $9.46 | $18.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.91 | $21.81 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.8 | 0 | $5.19 | $2.37 |
| Efficient EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.32 | $1.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.8 | 0 | $6.92 | $3.16 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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 Haven, CT
Morning in New Haven on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°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
1h 3m 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 highway-focused experience, as 90% of this journey is spent on major thoroughfares. The vast majority of your time—specifically 44.5 miles—will be spent on the uninterrupted stretch of I-95. This section dictates the personality of the drive, offering a fast-paced environment that requires your full attention on the road. Once you exit the interstate, the character shifts as you navigate onto Forbes Avenue and Water Street, which transition you into the local infrastructure of New Haven. The contrast between the high-speed interstate miles and the final local road segments defines the rhythm of this trip.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 44.5 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Forbes Avenue. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Allen Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 49.4 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: at 0.1 miles (Allen Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 95; US 1): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
109 ft
10 ft
Total Climb
125 ft
Total Descent
196 ft
Highest Point
109 ft
~3.5 mi in
Elevation Range
99 ft
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 Groton, CT to New Haven, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Lighthouse Point along the way.
Lighthouse Point
45.9 mi in
|
~57m
About the Cities
Arriving in New Haven, CT
Full guide →New Haven is a city in Connecticut that is best known as the home of Yale University.
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 1h 3m. Total distance: 49.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 44.5 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 0.1 miles (Allen Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.4 miles (I 95; US 1): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 45.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 New Haven, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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