Origin
Meriden, CT
Morning in Meriden on Tuesday
Local time
9:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Meriden, CT to New Britain, 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
17m
Distance
9.5 mi
15 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
New Britain, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 9.5-mile drive from Meriden to New Britain, Connecticut, is expected to take about 17 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a quick day trip. You'll primarily navigate local roads, with no highway driving involved, suggesting a more community-focused journey. The estimated fuel cost is a very reasonable $2, so you won't need to budget much for gas. Given its brevity, this trip is best undertaken without an overnight stay, offering flexibility to explore your destinations fully. This is a straightforward drive within the Northeast region, specifically within Connecticut.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain Highway | 6.9 mi | 11m |
| High Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Kensington Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Arch Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Rockwell Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| South Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Whiting Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Chamberlain Highway
— 6.9 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Meriden, CT and New Britain, 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 left at fork onto CT 71A
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Chamberlain Highway
4
Continue on CT 71A
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
High Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on CT 71A
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Kensington Avenue
6
Turn right onto Arch Street
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
Arch Street
7
Turn right onto Rockwell Avenue
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Rockwell Avenue
8
Turn right onto CT 71
159 ft
·
8 sec
·
South Main Street
9
Turn left
195 ft
·
21 sec
10
Turn left onto Whiting Street
154 ft
·
4 sec
·
Whiting Street
11
Arrive at destination
Whiting Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 9.5 — 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 71A / Chamberlain Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto CT 71A / Chamberlain Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
9.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
9.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Whiting Street
Turn left onto Whiting Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.53 one way
$3.06 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $1.68 | $3.37 |
| premium | $4.86 | $1.82 | $3.64 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.10 | $4.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.3 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 | 2.9 | 0 | $1.00 | $0.46 |
| Efficient EV | 2.4 | 0 | $0.83 | $0.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.8 | 0 | $1.33 | $0.61 |
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
New Britain, CT
Morning in New Britain on Tuesday
Local time
9:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
17m 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 for this entire 9.5-mile stretch between Meriden and New Britain. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets for the duration, primarily following Chamberlain Highway, High Road, and Kensington Avenue. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.9 miles along Chamberlain Highway, providing a decent segment of consistent driving before more turns. This route's character is defined by its frequent intersections and local traffic patterns, so stay alert.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.9 mi on Chamberlain Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Main Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 9.5 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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 71A / Chamberlain Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 New Britain, CT
Full guide →Founded 1850
New Britain is a city in Connecticut. The "Hardware City" is the official nickname of the city.
Top landmarks
- • New Britain Museum of American Art — art museum in New Britain, Connecticut
- • Walnut Hill Park — a large public park west of downtown New Britain, Connecticut, United States of...
- • Sloper-Wesoly House — historic house in Connecticut, United States
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 17m. Total distance: 9.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m 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 6.9 miles on Chamberlain Highway. 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 New Britain, 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: 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 71A / Chamberlain Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at New Britain, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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