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Trip from Hartford, CT to Derby, CT

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

57m

Distance

42.4 mi

68 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 53m ★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Hartford, CT, CT

Hartford, CT

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Derby, CT, CT

Derby, CT

cottonbro studio

Trip Overview

This 42.4-mile drive from Hartford to Derby, Connecticut, will take you about 57 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily navigate local streets, with about 29% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this route is around $7. Given its short duration and local road focus, this trip is best tackled in one go, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. Both Hartford and Derby are situated in the Northeast region of the US, specifically within Connecticut, so you'll be staying within the same state for this excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
North Broad Street 24.9 mi 30m
Berlin Turnpike 11 mi 14m
Broad Street 1.9 mi 3m
New Haven Avenue 1.6 mi 2m
Derby Turnpike 1.2 mi 1m
Maple Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Main Street 0.4 mi <1m
Derby Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: North Broad Street — 24.9 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hartford, CT and Derby, CT.

1

Start on Armory Road

111 ft · 15 sec · Armory Road
2

Turn right onto Capitol Avenue

382 ft · 16 sec · Capitol Avenue
3

Turn left onto Broad Street

1.9 mi · 3 min · Broad Street
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto Maple Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · Maple Avenue
5

Continue on Berlin Turnpike

11 mi · 14 min · Berlin Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
6

Continue on US 5; CT 15

25 mi · 30 min · North Broad Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Exit 42B Toward CT 34 West: Derby Use the slight right lane.
8

Turn right onto CT 34

1.2 mi · 1 min · Derby Turnpike
9

Continue on CT 34

1.6 mi · 2 min · New Haven Avenue
10

Continue on CT 34

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Derby Avenue
Use the straight lane.
11

Turn left onto CT 34

0.4 mi · 57 sec · Main Street
Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto Minerva Street

382 ft · 18 sec · Minerva Street
13

Turn left onto Third Street

197 ft · 10 sec · Third Street
14

Turn right

35 ft · 2 sec
15

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Meriden, CT, CT

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Meriden, CT

21 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

Shelton, CT

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Meriden, CT

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.2 miles from Hartford, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 42.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Capitol Avenue

Turn right onto Capitol Avenue

Navigation decision point

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Broad Street

Turn left onto Broad Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
38.7 mi into trip | ~51m in

Take the exit toward CT 34 West: Derby

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 42B Toward CT 34 West: Derby
5
41.9 mi into trip | ~56m in | CT 34 / Main Street

Turn left onto CT 34 / Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
42.3 mi into trip | ~57m in | Third Street

Turn left onto Third Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.83 one way

$13.65 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $7.51 $15.02
premium $4.86 $8.12 $16.24
diesel $5.61 $9.36 $18.72

Estimated Tolls: $0.85

Berlin Turnpike (11 mi) $0.77
Derby Turnpike (1.2 mi) $0.08

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$1

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.7 0 $4.45 $2.04
Efficient EV 10.6 0 $3.71 $1.70
EV Truck/SUV 17 0 $5.94 $2.71

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Jun 20, 2022

Origin

Hartford, CT

Late night in Hartford on Tuesday

Local time

5:08 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Derby, CT

Late night in Derby on Tuesday

Local time

5:08 AM

EDT

Current temp

56°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

10 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

57m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route. While nearly 30% of the journey involves highway driving, the majority of your time will be spent on local roads like North Broad Street and Berlin Turnpike. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 24.9 miles on North Broad Street, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before returning to more frequent turns. This road's personality is less about sweeping vistas and more about navigating through various communities.

Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.9 mi on North Broad Street.

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 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Capitol 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 42.4 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Capitol Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 38.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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 57m. Total distance: 42.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

57m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.9 miles on North Broad Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.85 in tolls one way, starting with Berlin 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 Derby, 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 (Capitol Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 38.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Derby, 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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Explore More

Explore more options from Hartford, CT or browse trips ending in Derby, CT.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CT road trips.