Origin
Hartford, CT
Afternoon in Hartford on Monday
Local time
2:13 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hartford, CT to Old Lyme, CT
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
42.6 mi
69 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 52m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hartford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Old Lyme, CT
MART PRODUCTION
Trip Overview
The drive from Hartford, CT to Old Lyme, CT covers 42.6 miles and takes about 56m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CT 9, I 91, I 95 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 28.3 miles on CT 9. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 9 | 28.3 mi | 34m |
| I 91 | 9.6 mi | 12m |
| I 95 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Shore Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Ferry Road | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| Lyme Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| US 1 | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 9
— 28.3 mi, about 34m
Traffic on I-91
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 6 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~5,987 veh/hr typical · worst 7,200
Quietest
2 AM
~457 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
13.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 67 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 Hartford, CT and Old Lyme, CT.
1
Start on Armory Road
111 ft
·
14 sec
·
Armory Road
2
Turn left onto Capitol Avenue
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
Capitol Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn left onto Hudson Street
515 ft
·
16 sec
·
Hudson Street
4
Enter roundabout
39 ft
·
0 sec
Toward Bradley International Airport, Springfield, New Haven
5
Continue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward Bradley International Airport, Springfield, New Haven
6
Merge onto I 91
9.6 mi
·
12 min
·
I 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 22S
Toward CT 9 South: Middletown, Old Saybrook
Use the slight left lane.
8
Merge onto CT 9
28 mi
·
34 min
·
CT 9
Use the straight lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North, US 1 North: New London, Providence
10
Merge onto I 95; US 1
0.5 mi
·
34 sec
·
I 95; US 1
11
Take the exit onto US 1
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
US 1
Exit 70
Toward US 1, CT 156: Old Lyme
12
Turn right onto CT 156
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Shore Road
13
Turn left onto Ferry Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Ferry Road
14
At end of road, turn left onto Lyme Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
Lyme Street
15
Turn right onto Library Lane
206 ft
·
14 sec
·
Library Lane
16
Turn left
33 ft
·
2 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 42.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.3 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 42.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Enter roundabout toward Bradley International Airport, Springfield, New Haven
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Bradley International Airport, Springfie...
8
11 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward CT 9 South: Middletown, Old Saybrook
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 22S
Toward CT 9 South: Middletown, Old Saybrook
6
40.2 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North, US 1 North: New London, Providence
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North, US 1 North: New London, Prov...
6
41.3 mi into trip
|
~52m in
|
US 1
Take the exit onto US 1 toward US 1, CT 156: Old Lyme
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 70
Toward US 1, CT 156: Old Lyme
6
42.3 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
Lyme Street
At end of road, turn left onto Lyme Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.10 one way
$14.19 round trip
$4.23/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $7.87 | $15.75 |
| premium | $5.07 | $8.50 | $16.99 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.39 | $18.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
| Efficient EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.73 | $1.70 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17 | 0 | $5.96 | $2.73 |
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.
Destination
Old Lyme, CT
Afternoon in Old Lyme on Monday
Local time
2:13 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
59°F
Portland, CT
21 mi in
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
24 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
56m 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?
42.6 mi in 56m, mostly highway — 28.3 mi of that is on CT 9.
91% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.3 mi on CT 9.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 9 and I 91. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 42.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 40.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
393 ft
19 ft
Total Climb
656 ft
Total Descent
687 ft
Highest Point
393 ft
~21.3 mi in
Elevation Range
374 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.
Between Hartford, CT and Old Lyme, CT, road signs point toward Old Saybrook and Providence.
Old Saybrook
11 mi in
|
~15m
Providence
40.2 mi in
|
~50m
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
Arriving in Old Lyme, CT
Full guide →Founded 1855
Old Lyme is a coastal town in Mystic-Eastern region of Connecticut. Old Lyme is a quaint little town at the bottom of the Connecticut River on the East banks. It is generally regarded as a summering destination as it has many gorgeous beaches.
Top landmarks
- • Florence Griswold Museum — museum in Olde Lyme, Connecticut
- • Old Lyme Historic District — historic center of Old Lyme, Connecticut
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 56m. Total distance: 42.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.3 miles on CT 9. 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 Old Lyme, 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 0.6 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 40.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Old Lyme, 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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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