Origin
Meriden, CT
Late night in Meriden on Tuesday
Local time
4:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Meriden, CT to Kensington, 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
14m
Distance
8.1 mi
13 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 13m
★
6 AM
0h 14m
8 AM
0h 17m
10 AM
0h 15m
12 PM
0h 15m
3 PM
0h 15m
5 PM
0h 17m
8 PM
0h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Kensington, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick, direct transit between Meriden and Kensington, this 8.1-mile journey is an ideal local connection. You can expect to complete the drive in approximately 14 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel cost estimate of just $1, it is an incredibly economical way to navigate through the Northeast region. Because the route relies entirely on local roads, you will avoid the congestion of major interstates. It is a straightforward commute that requires no overnight planning, allowing you to focus on your destination immediately.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain Highway | 5.3 mi | 8m |
| Percival Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| High Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| New Britain Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Chamberlain Highway
— 5.3 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Meriden, CT and Kensington, CT.
1
Start on West Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn right onto CT 71
5.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Chamberlain Highway
Use the straight lane.
3
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 71
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
High Road
4
Turn straight onto CT 71
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Percival Avenue
5
At end of road, turn right onto CT 71
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Main Street
6
Turn left onto CT 71
507 ft
·
8 sec
·
New Britain Road
7
Arrive at destination
CT 71
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8 — 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
|
West Main Street
Depart onto West Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
CT 71 / Chamberlain Highway
Turn right onto CT 71 / Chamberlain Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
5.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
CT 71 / High Road
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 71 / High Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
7.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
CT 71 / Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto CT 71 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
3
8 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
CT 71 / New Britain Road
Turn left onto CT 71 / New Britain Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.30 one way
$2.61 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $1.43 | $2.87 |
| premium | $4.86 | $1.55 | $3.10 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.79 | $3.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.85 | $0.39 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.71 | $0.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Kensington, CT
Late night in Kensington on Tuesday
Local time
4:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°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
22 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
14m 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 turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. The route features zero highway driving, relying instead on a network of surface streets including Chamberlain Highway, Percival Avenue, and Main Street. You will spend the majority of your time on the 5.3-mile stretch along Chamberlain Highway, which serves as the backbone of your journey. Since the profile is entirely local, the pace is steady and requires more attention to turns than a high-speed interstate cruise. It is a functional, hands-on driving experience that connects these two Connecticut towns efficiently.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.3 mi on Chamberlain Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Main Street.
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 14m drive. You will face about 5 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 (West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (CT 71 / Chamberlain Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (CT 71 / High Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
288 ft
79 ft
Total Climb
144 ft
Total Descent
210 ft
Highest Point
288 ft
~2.3 mi in
Elevation Range
210 ft
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.
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 14m. Total distance: 8.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.3 miles on Chamberlain Highway. 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 (West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (CT 71 / Chamberlain Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.8 miles (CT 71 / High Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Kensington, 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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