Mount Holly to Essex Junction is 85.8 miles and takes about 2h 16m via US 7 and Vermont Route 116, with a fuel budget near $14 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Vermont, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a straightforward, mostly highway-focused drive that's ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll find it to be a practical way to cover this distance without much fuss, making it a good option if you're looking for efficiency.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
42.9 miles from Mount Holly, VT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 9m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
US 7
33 mi
53m
Vermont Route 116
14.2 mi
21m
Vermont Route 103 North
10.7 mi
16m
Case Street
6 mi
8m
South 116 Road
5.5 mi
8m
North 116 Road
4.1 mi
6m
Saint George Road
3.7 mi
5m
Essex Road
2.2 mi
3m
Longest stretch:
US 7
— 33 mi, about 53m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Mount Holly, VT and Essex Junction, VT.
1
Start on Cole Road
217 ft·12 sec·Cole Road
2
Turn right onto Hortonville Road
0.4 mi·1 min·Hortonville Road
3
Turn right onto VT 103
11 mi·16 min·Vermont Route 103 North
4
Turn right onto US 7
33 mi·53 min·US 7
5
Turn right onto VT 116
0.5 mi·45 sec·Ossie Road
6
Turn left onto VT 116
364 ft·6 sec·Church Street
7
Continue on VT 116
6.0 mi·8 min·Case Street
8
Continue on VT 116
5.5 mi·8 min·South 116 Road
9
Turn right onto VT 17; VT 116
0.5 mi·48 sec·Stony Hill Road
10
Continue on VT 17; VT 116
0.6 mi·55 sec·West Street
11
Continue on VT 17; VT 116
0.2 mi·22 sec·Main Street
12
Continue on VT 17; VT 116
0.5 mi·1 min·East Street
13
Continue on VT 17; VT 116
0.9 mi·1 min·Rockydale Road
14
Continue on VT 17; VT 116
4.1 mi·6 min·North 116 Road
15
Continue on VT 116
9.0 mi·13 min·Vermont Route 116
16
Continue on VT 116
5.3 mi·7 min·Vermont Route 116
17
Turn right onto VT 2A
2.0 mi·2 min·Vermont Route 2A
18
Continue on VT 2A
3.7 mi·5 min·Saint George Road
19
Continue on VT 2A
2.2 mi·3 min·Essex Road
20
Continue on VT 2A
0.7 mi·2 min·Park Street
21
Turn slight right onto VT 15
79 ft·2 sec·Main Street
22
Arrive at destination
VT 15
Trip Plan
Given the manageable 2h 16m drive time, you can easily complete this trip in one day. Aim to depart in the morning to maximize your daylight hours. There are no designated stops in the data, so you can be flexible with breaks. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as the longest stretch without a town is 33 miles on US 7. It's a good idea to fill up before you leave Mount Holly or as you enter a larger town along US 7.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 42.9 miles from Mount Holly, VT, or about 1h 9m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 33 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 19 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 42.9 miles or 1h 9m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 55m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Essex Junction, VT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Mount Holly, VT so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Mount Holly, VT
This is one driving day of about 85.8 miles and 2h 16m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 19 miles from Mount Holly, VT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on US 7 for about 33 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 5
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 77.2 — 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|Hortonville Road
Turn right onto Hortonville Road
Navigation decision point
3
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|VT 103 / Vermont Route 103 North
Turn right onto VT 103 / Vermont Route 103 North
Navigation decision point
3
44.1 mi into trip|~1h 11m in|VT 116 / Ossie Road
Turn right onto VT 116 / Ossie Road
Navigation decision point
3
56.1 mi into trip|~1h 29m in|VT 17; VT 116 / Stony Hill Road
Turn right onto VT 17; VT 116 / Stony Hill Road
Navigation decision point
3
77.2 mi into trip|~2h 2m in|VT 2A / Vermont Route 2A
Turn right onto VT 2A / Vermont Route 2A
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.81 one way
$27.62 round trip
$4.09/gal25.4 MPG avg30 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.50
$15.20
$30.39
premium
$4.86
$16.43
$32.86
diesel
$5.61
$18.94
$37.89
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 30 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
25.7
0
$9.01
$4.12
Efficient EV
21.5
0
$7.51
$3.43
EV Truck/SUV
34.3
0
$12.01
$5.49
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026
Origin
Mount Holly, VT
Late night
in Mount Holly on Sunday
Local time
12:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
34°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Essex Junction, VT
Late night
in Essex Junction on Sunday
Local time
12:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
37°F
Leicester, VT
43 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
5 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
2h 16m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Walk through one of Vermont's most beautiful landscapes under the shade of the Mount Tom Forest, the oldest continuously managed scientific forest in the United States. This is a landscape of loss, re...
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is primarily a highway-focused drive, with about 70% of it on higher-speed roads. You'll spend a good portion of your time on US 7, including a continuous stretch of 33 miles. While it's largely highway, expect some transitions as you move onto Vermont Route 116 and Vermont Route 103 North. This mix means you get a sense of steady progress without it feeling like a monotonous interstate journey.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33 mi on US 7.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 7 and Vermont Route 116. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Hortonville Road.
Driving Effort1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Mount Holly, VT to Essex Junction, VT is easy. At 2h 16m with 70% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Hortonville Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (VT 103 / Vermont Route 103 North): Navigation decision point; at 44.1 miles (VT 116 / Ossie Road): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 16m. Total distance: 85.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 33 miles on US 7. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through VT can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Hortonville Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (VT 103 / Vermont Route 103 North): Navigation decision point; at 44.1 miles (VT 116 / Ossie Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller 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 Essex Junction, VT before heading back.
