Origin
Hartford, CT
Morning in Hartford on Tuesday
Local time
8:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hartford, CT to Crystal Lake, 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
32m
Distance
22.8 mi
37 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hartford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Crystal Lake, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 22.8-mile drive from Hartford to Crystal Lake, Connecticut, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 32 minutes. It's an ideal option for a day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The majority of the route is focused on highways, making it an efficient way to get from point A to point B within the Northeast region. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this is a very budget-friendly excursion. Given its brevity and highway-centric nature, you won't need to worry about extensive planning.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 15.4 mi | 18m |
| Crystal Lake Road | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| Hartford Turnpike | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Stafford Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Reservoir Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Hyde Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Sandy Beach Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 84
— 15.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hartford, CT and Crystal Lake, CT.
1
Start on Armory Road
111 ft
·
15 sec
·
Armory Road
2
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue
382 ft
·
10 sec
·
Capitol Avenue
3
Turn right onto Broad Street
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Broad Street
Use the right lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 84
Use the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 84; US 6
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
I 84; US 6
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84; US 6
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
I 84; US 6
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84; US 6
11 mi
·
12 min
·
I 84; US 6
Toward I 84 East: Boston
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 67
Toward CT 31: Rockville, Coventry
Use the slight right lane.
9
Turn left onto CT 31
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Reservoir Road
10
Turn right onto CT 30
275 ft
·
5 sec
·
Hartford Turnpike
Use the right lane.
11
Continue on CT 30
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Hyde Avenue
12
Continue on CT 30
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Hartford Turnpike
13
Continue on CT 30; CT 74
412 ft
·
14 sec
·
Tolland Stage Road
14
Turn left onto CT 30
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Crystal Lake Road
15
Continue on CT 30
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Stafford Road
16
Turn right onto CT 140
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Crystal Lake Road
17
Continue on CT 140
511 ft
·
10 sec
·
Sandy Beach Road
18
Arrive at destination
CT 140
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 15.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Broad Street
Turn right onto Broad Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
7
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 84
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 84
6
3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 84; US 6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84; US 6
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
5.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 84; US 6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84; US 6 toward I 84 East: Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 84 East: Boston
8
15.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward CT 31: Rockville, Coventry
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 67
Toward CT 31: Rockville, Coventry
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.67 one way
$7.34 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.04 | $8.08 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.37 | $8.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.03 | $10.07 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.09
Hartford Turnpike
(1.2 mi)
$0.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $1.99 | $0.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Crystal Lake, CT
Morning in Crystal Lake on Tuesday
Local time
8:43 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
26 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
32m 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 for most of this 22.8-mile journey. With 73% of the drive on highways, you'll be spending a good portion of your 32 minutes on I-84. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 15.4 miles on I-84, offering a consistent pace. As you approach Crystal Lake, the route transitions to Crystal Lake Road and Hartford Turnpike, offering a slight change from the interstate feel. This drive is primarily about efficient travel rather than winding scenic byways.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.4 mi on I 84.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 84 and Crystal Lake Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Broad Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 84; US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Hartford, CT to Crystal Lake, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Coventry along the way.
Coventry
15.9 mi in
|
~20m
About the Cities
Starting in Hartford, CT
Full guide →Hartford is the capital of the state of Connecticut in the United States of America. It is home to the country's oldest public art museum (Wadsworth Atheneum), and the Mark Twain House, in which the author wrote his most famous works and raised his family. Mark Twain wrote in 1868, "Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see this is the chief."
Top landmarks
- • Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art — art museum in Hartford, Connecticut
- • Connecticut State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Connecticut
- • Mark Twain House — non-profit organization in the USA
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 32m. Total distance: 22.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.4 miles on I 84. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.09 in tolls one way, starting with Hartford Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Crystal Lake, 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: at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3 miles (I 84; US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — New England National Scenic Trail. 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 Crystal Lake, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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