Origin
Hamden, CT
Late night in Hamden on Tuesday
Local time
4:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hamden, CT to West 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
18m
Distance
10 mi
16 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hamden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
West Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Hamden, CT to West Haven, CT is 10 miles and takes about 18m via Whitney Avenue, Kimberly Avenue, and Elm Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Connecticut, making it an easy local jaunt. Expect a turn-heavy drive that navigates through populated areas, so keep your attention focused. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick, convenient transfer between these two Northeast locations without significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Whitney Avenue | 5.9 mi | 9m |
| Kimberly Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Elm Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Howard Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Temple Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Campbell Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| College Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Congress Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Whitney Avenue
— 5.9 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hamden, CT and West Haven, CT.
1
Start on CT 10
5.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Whitney Avenue
Use the straight lane.
2
Continue on Temple Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Temple Street
3
Turn right onto Chapel Street
525 ft
·
16 sec
·
Chapel Street
4
Turn left onto College Street
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
College Street
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn slight right onto Congress Avenue
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Congress Avenue
6
Turn left onto Howard Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Howard Avenue
7
Keep slight right at fork onto Kimberly Square
339 ft
·
8 sec
·
Kimberly Square
8
Turn straight onto Kimberly Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Kimberly Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn straight onto Elm Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Elm Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Campbell Avenue
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Campbell Avenue
11
Turn left onto New Street
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
New Street
12
Turn right onto Washington Avenue
68 ft
·
2 sec
·
Washington Avenue
13
Arrive at destination
Washington Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CT 10 / Whitney Avenue
Depart onto CT 10 / Whitney Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
6.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
Chapel Street
Turn right onto Chapel Street
Navigation decision point
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
College Street
Turn left onto College Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
7.8 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
Kimberly Square
Keep slight right at fork onto Kimberly Square
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
10 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Washington Avenue
Turn right onto Washington Avenue
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.61 one way
$3.22 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $1.77 | $3.54 |
| premium | $4.86 | $1.91 | $3.83 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.21 | $4.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3 | 0 | $1.05 | $0.48 |
| Efficient EV | 2.5 | 0 | $0.88 | $0.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
West Haven, CT
Late night in West Haven on Tuesday
Local time
4:14 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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
18m 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 characterized by its frequent turns, offering a local road experience with zero highway driving. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.9 miles along Whitney Avenue. As you transition from Whitney Avenue to Kimberly Avenue and finally Elm Street, you'll be navigating through established neighborhoods and commercial areas, which means you'll be constantly adjusting your course. It's a route that demands your full attention to the road and navigation.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.9 mi on Whitney Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CT 10 / Whitney 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 10 miles you will encounter 10 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 (CT 10 / Whitney Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (Chapel Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.6 miles (College Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Hamden, CT
Full guide →Hamden is a suburb of the city of New Haven, Connecticut. Quinnipiac University has a significant impact on the town. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant". It had about 59,500 in 2025.
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 18m. Total distance: 10 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.9 miles on Whitney Avenue. 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 West Haven, 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 (CT 10 / Whitney Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.5 miles (Chapel Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.6 miles (College Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at West 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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