Origin
Meriden, CT
Morning in Meriden on Tuesday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Meriden, CT to Branford, 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
37m
Distance
26.3 mi
42 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Branford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 26.3-mile drive from Meriden, CT to Branford, CT is easily manageable within a single day, taking approximately 37 minutes. The route primarily utilizes major interstates like I-91 and I-95, making it a highway-focused journey with about 70% of the drive on these faster roads. Given its short duration and low estimated fuel cost of around $4, it's an ideal option for a quick trip or an add-on to a larger regional exploration within the Northeast. You'll find this drive to be efficient and direct, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 91 | 15.7 mi | 18m |
| I 95 | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| East Main Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Ferry Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Middletown Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Frontage Road | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Cedar Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Farren Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 91
— 15.7 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Meriden, CT and Branford, CT.
1
Start on West Main Street
119 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Turn left onto CT 71
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
Cook Avenue
3
Turn sharp left onto Hanover Street
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Hanover Street
Use the left lane.
4
At end of road, turn right onto Perkins Street
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Perkins Street
5
Turn right onto East Main Street
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
East Main Street
Use the right lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 91 South, CT 15 South: New Haven, New York City
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 91 South: New Haven, New York City
8
Merge onto I 91
16 mi
·
18 min
·
I 91
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 8
Toward CT 17, CT 80: North Branford
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto CT 17
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Middletown Avenue
11
Continue on Ferry Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Ferry Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
12
Continue on Ferry Street
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
Ferry Street
13
Turn right onto Farren Avenue
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Farren Avenue
14
Turn left onto Fairmont Avenue
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Fairmont Avenue
15
Continue on Townsend Avenue
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Townsend Avenue
16
Turn left onto US 1
371 ft
·
6 sec
·
Forbes Avenue
17
Turn right onto US 1
0.7 mi
·
48 sec
·
Frontage Road
18
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 95 North
19
Merge onto I 95
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 54
Toward Branford, Cedar Street
Use the slight right lane.
21
Turn right onto Cedar Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Cedar Street
Use the right lane.
22
At end of road, turn left onto CT 146
38 ft
·
0 sec
·
Main Street
23
Arrive at destination
CT 146
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 25.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Hanover Street
Turn sharp left onto Hanover Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
2.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 91 South: New Haven, New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 91 South: New Haven, New York City
8
18.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward CT 17, CT 80: North Branford
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 8
Toward CT 17, CT 80: North Branford
8
25.3 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Branford, Cedar Street
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 54
Toward Branford, Cedar Street
6
25.6 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
Cedar Street
Turn right onto Cedar Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.23 one way
$8.47 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.66 | $9.32 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.04 | $10.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.81 | $11.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Branford, CT
Morning in Branford on Tuesday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°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
7 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
37m 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 predominantly highway-focused experience for this 26.3-mile trip, with 70% of your travel time spent on interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 15.7 miles on I-91, offering a consistent pace. While the main roads include East Main Street, the bulk of the drive will be on I-91 and I-95. This means you'll be navigating efficient, albeit less scenic, interstate driving for most of the journey, with minimal time on local roads.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.7 mi on I 91.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 91 and I 95. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near Hanover Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 26.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Hanover Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Meriden, CT to Branford, CT, road signs begin pointing toward New York City along the way.
New York City
2.3 mi in
|
~4m
About the Cities
Starting in Meriden, CT
Full guide →Meriden is a city in the Connecticut River Valley. Although not a major tourist destination, it does have an architecturally notable center.
Arriving in Branford, CT
Full guide →Branford is a city of 28,000 people (2014) in the Greater New Haven region of Connecticut. Branford has six historic districts that are listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places (NRHp). These include buildings in Federal, Arts and Crafts, and Queen Anne styles of architecture. Five NRHP-listed districts are Branford Center Historic District, Branford Point Historic District, Canoe Brook Historic District, Route 146 Historic District, and Stony Creek-Thimble Islands Historic District.
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 37m. Total distance: 26.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (70%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.7 miles on I 91. 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 Branford, 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 0.2 miles (Hanover Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Branford, 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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