Origin
Kensington, CT
Late night in Kensington on Sunday
Local time
4:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kensington, CT to West Hartford, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
18m
Distance
11.4 mi
18 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
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.
Kensington, CT
Wikimedia Commons
West Hartford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick commute or a local excursion between Kensington and West Hartford, Connecticut, you are looking at an efficient 11.4-mile journey. This transit typically takes about 18 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of just $2, it is an incredibly economical route that requires zero stops along the way. Since both locations are firmly situated within the Northeast, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the drive. It is a straightforward, no-fuss connection that works perfectly for those needing to get from point A to point B without any overnight requirements.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 9 | 5.1 mi | 5m |
| South Main Street | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| New Britain Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| I 84 | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Ellis Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| LaSalle Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Brace Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dale Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 9
— 5.1 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kensington, CT and West Hartford, CT.
1
Start on CT 71
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
New Britain Road
Use the straight lane.
2
Continue on CT 71
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
South Main Street
3
Turn right onto Ellis Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Ellis Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward CT 9 North: Newington
5
Merge onto CT 9
5.1 mi
·
5 min
·
CT 9
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
58 sec
Exit 40B
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 84; US 6
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
I 84; US 6
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 41
Toward South Main Street, Elmwood
9
Turn left onto CT 173
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Pelham Road
359 ft
·
14 sec
·
Pelham Road
11
Turn right onto LaSalle Road
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
LaSalle Road
12
At end of road, turn left onto Farmington Avenue
134 ft
·
5 sec
·
Farmington Avenue
13
Turn right onto Dale Street
462 ft
·
24 sec
·
Dale Street
14
Turn right onto Brace Road
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Brace Road
15
At end of road, turn right onto North Main Street
287 ft
·
10 sec
·
North Main Street
16
Arrive at destination
North Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 2.2 and 11.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
2.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
CT 9
Merge onto CT 9
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
7.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 84 East: Hartford
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 40B
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
6
8.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the exit toward South Main Street, Elmwood
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 41
Toward South Main Street, Elmwood
6
11 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Farmington Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Farmington Avenue
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
6
11.3 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
North Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto North Main Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.84 one way
$3.67 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $2.02 | $4.04 |
| premium | $4.86 | $2.18 | $4.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.52 | $5.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.20 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.00 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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 Hartford, CT
Late night in West Hartford on Sunday
Local time
4:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Mostly Cloudy
S 10 mph
14% chance
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
37 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
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This trip offers a mixed driving profile that transitions from faster highway travel to more localized maneuvering. You will spend about 53% of your time on highways, with your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 5.1 miles on CT 9. As you navigate the route, expect to shift gears between the pace of the highway and the more controlled flow of South Main Street and New Britain Road. The road’s personality is practical rather than leisurely, balancing brief bursts of speed with the necessary navigation of local infrastructure. It is a functional drive that requires your focus as you move through these different road classifications.
53% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.1 mi on CT 9.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.2 miles in near CT 9.
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 13 decision points packed into just 11.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.2 miles (CT 9): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
268 ft
78 ft
Total Climb
314 ft
Total Descent
262 ft
Highest Point
268 ft
~7.3 mi in
Elevation Range
190 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.
On the drive from Kensington, CT to West Hartford, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Elmwood along the way.
Elmwood
8.8 mi in
|
~11m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 18m. Total distance: 11.4 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (53%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.1 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 West Hartford, 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 2.2 miles (CT 9): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at West Hartford, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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