Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
21.6 mi
35 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Plymouth, CT
cottonbro studio
The drive from Meriden, CT to Plymouth, CT covers 21.6 miles and takes about 31m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 84, I 691, Main Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3 miles on I 84. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.60 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 3 mi | 3m |
| I 691 | 2.8 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| West Street | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| West Main Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Middle Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Terryville Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Riverside Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Meriden, CT and Plymouth, CT.
Start on West Main Street
Continue on Meriden-Waterbury Turnpike
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 691
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 84
Take the exit
Turn left onto CT 229
Continue on CT 229
Turn left onto CT 72
Turn left onto CT 72
Turn right onto CT 72
Continue on CT 72
Continue on CT 72
Continue on CT 72
Turn left onto Canal Street
Continue on Allen Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 6
Turn right onto North Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 15.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward I 691 West: Waterbury
Navigation decision point
Keep slight right at fork toward I 84 East: Hartford
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CT 229: West Street, Bristol
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn left onto CT 229 / West Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto CT 72 / School Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.20 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $3.99 | $7.99 |
| premium | $5.07 | $4.31 | $8.62 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $4.76 | $9.52 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.27 | $1.04 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Meriden on Friday
Local time
12:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in Plymouth on Friday
Local time
12:58 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
21.6 mi in 31m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
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 2.6 miles in.
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 21.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
857 ft
Total Descent
314 ft
Highest Point
759 ft
~20 mi in
Elevation Range
615 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Meriden, CT to Plymouth, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Bristol along the way.
Bristol
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
Founded 1795
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 21.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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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