Origin
Meriden, CT
Evening in Meriden on Wednesday
Local time
5:45 PM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Meriden, CT to Colchester, CT
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Colchester, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Meriden, CT to Colchester, CT covers 29.1 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CT 66, Middletown Road, Portland-Cobalt Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.2 miles on CT 66. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.85 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 66 | 6.2 mi | 9m |
| Middletown Road | 6.1 mi | 10m |
| Portland-Cobalt Road | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| Colchester Avenue | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Middletown Avenue | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| I 691 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| West High Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 66
— 6.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Meriden, CT and Colchester, CT.
1
Start on West Main Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
West Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn right onto Lewis Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Lewis Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 691 East: Middletown
4
Merge onto I 691
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 691
5
Continue on CT 66
6.2 mi
·
9 min
·
CT 66
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn left onto CT 3
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Newfield Street
7
Turn right onto Liberty Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Liberty Street
8
Continue on Prospect Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Prospect Street
9
Turn right onto Grand Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Grand Street
10
At end of road, turn left onto CT 66
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
11
Take the exit onto CT 17; CT 66
358 ft
·
8 sec
·
CT 17; CT 66
12
Merge onto CT 17; CT 66
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Marlborough Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Continue on CT 17; CT 66
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Portland-Cobalt Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Continue on CT 66
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West High Street
15
Turn right onto CT 16
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Middletown Avenue
Use the right lane.
16
Continue on CT 16
3.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Colchester Avenue
17
Continue on CT 16
6.1 mi
·
10 min
·
Middletown Road
18
Continue on CT 16
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
Linwood Avenue
19
At end of road, turn left onto CT 16; CT 85
445 ft
·
11 sec
·
Main Street
20
Turn right onto CT 16
132 ft
·
7 sec
·
Lebanon Avenue
21
Turn right onto Hayward Avenue
181 ft
·
7 sec
·
Hayward Avenue
22
Arrive at destination
Hayward Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 11.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lewis Avenue
Turn right onto Lewis Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 691 East: Middletown
Navigation decision point
Toward I 691 East: Middletown
5
9.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Liberty Street
Turn right onto Liberty Street
Navigation decision point
5
10 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
CT 66 / Main Street
At end of road, turn left onto CT 66 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
11.1 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
CT 17; CT 66 / Marlborough Street
Merge onto CT 17; CT 66 / Marlborough Street
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.85 one way
$9.69 round trip
$4.23/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $5.38 | $10.76 |
| premium | $5.07 | $5.80 | $11.61 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.41 | $12.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Colchester, CT
Evening in Colchester on Wednesday
Local time
5:45 PM
EDT
Current temp
76°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
1 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
49m 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?
29.1 mi in 49m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.2 mi on CT 66.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Lewis Avenue.
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 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Lewis Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 9.4 miles (Liberty Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
466 ft
31 ft
Total Climb
842 ft
Total Descent
520 ft
Highest Point
466 ft
~29.1 mi in
Elevation Range
435 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Meriden, CT
Full guide →Founded 1867
Meriden is a city in the Connecticut River Valley. Although not a major tourist destination, it does have an architecturally notable center.
Top landmarks
- • Curtis Memorial Library — library
- • Moses Andrews House — United States historic place
- • Red Bridge — bridge in Meriden, Connecticut, United States
Arriving in Colchester, CT
Full guide →Founded 1698
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 49m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.2 miles on CT 66. 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 Colchester, 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 0.1 miles (Lewis Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 9.4 miles (Liberty Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Colchester, 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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