Origin
Hartford, CT
Late night in Hartford on Sunday
Local time
3:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hartford, CT to Waterbury, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
30 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hartford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Waterbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to get from Hartford to Waterbury, this 30-mile journey is a quick and straightforward trip. You can easily complete the drive in about 38 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion that does not require an overnight stay. With a fuel budget of just $5, it is an incredibly economical route to navigate within Connecticut. Because you remain within the Northeast region for the duration of the trip, the transition between these two cities is seamless. Whether you are traveling for business or a quick change of scenery, this highway-focused drive offers a practical way to connect the two hubs without any major logistical hurdles.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 28.5 mi | 35m |
| Meadow Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Armory Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 84
— 28.5 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hartford, CT and Waterbury, CT.
1
Start on Armory Road
111 ft
·
14 sec
·
Armory Road
2
Turn left onto Capitol Avenue
330 ft
·
10 sec
·
Capitol Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward I 84 West: Waterbury
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 84; US 6
12 mi
·
14 min
·
I 84; US 6
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84
17 mi
·
20 min
·
I 84
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 21
Toward Meadow Street, Bank Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn right onto Meadow Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Meadow Street
8
Turn left onto West Main Street
0.3 mi
·
23 sec
·
West Main Street
9
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 29.1 — 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
|
Capitol Avenue
Turn left onto Capitol Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 84 West: Waterbury
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 84 West: Waterbury
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 84; US 6
Merge onto I 84; US 6
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
12.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 84
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
29.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward Meadow Street, Bank Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 21
Toward Meadow Street, Bank Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.83 one way
$9.66 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $5.31 | $10.63 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.74 | $11.49 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.62 | $13.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (60% 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
Waterbury, CT
Late night in Waterbury on Sunday
Local time
3:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°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
25 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
38m 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 trip is defined by its reliance on I-84, which accounts for 95% of your total travel time. You will spend the vast majority of your time on a single 28.5-mile stretch of interstate, making this a classic highway-focused drive. Once you exit the interstate, the final leg of your journey transitions briefly onto Meadow Street and West Main Street to reach your destination. Expect a consistent, fast-paced experience behind the wheel rather than a winding backroad adventure. The route is highly efficient, allowing you to maintain a steady speed for nearly the entire duration of the trip.
95% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.5 mi on I 84.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 84 and Meadow Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Capitol Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 38m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Capitol Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (I 84; US 6): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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."
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 38m. Total distance: 30 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.5 miles on I 84. 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: near the start (Capitol Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (I 84; US 6): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Waterbury, 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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