Origin
New Britain, CT
Afternoon in New Britain on Tuesday
Local time
1:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Britain, CT to Bristol, 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
15m
Distance
10.3 mi
17 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Britain, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Bristol, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick and straightforward transit between New Britain and Bristol, this 10.3-mile trip is an ideal candidate for a one-day outing. Expect a brief 15-minute journey that keeps your travel time minimal while staying within the Northeast region of Connecticut. With a fuel budget of just $2, this drive is exceptionally economical for commuters or casual travelers. Since the total distance is quite short, you will not need to worry about overnight accommodations or complex logistics. It is a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 72 | 7.6 mi | 10m |
| Riverside Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| School Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Square | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Whiting Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 72
— 7.6 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Britain, CT and Bristol, CT.
1
Start on Whiting Street
34 ft
·
6 sec
·
Whiting Street
2
Turn right onto CT 71
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Franklin Square
3
Turn left onto Main Street
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Continue on East Main Street
366 ft
·
7 sec
·
East Main Street
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward CT 72 West: Bristol
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto CT 72
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
CT 72
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 72
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
CT 72
Exit 33
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit onto CT 72
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverside Avenue
Use the straight / slight right / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto CT 72
276 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
10
Turn right onto CT 72
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
School Street
Use the right lane.
11
Turn left onto CT 69
71 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Street
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
CT 69
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 10.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CT 71 / Franklin Square
Turn right onto CT 71 / Franklin Square
Navigation decision point
6
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward CT 72 West: Bristol
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CT 72 West: Bristol
7
4.1 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
CT 72
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 72
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 33
6
9.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
CT 72 / School Street
Turn right onto CT 72 / School Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
10.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
CT 69 / West Street
Turn left onto CT 69 / West Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.66 one way
$3.32 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $1.82 | $3.65 |
| premium | $4.86 | $1.97 | $3.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.27 | $4.55 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
| Efficient EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.90 | $0.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Bristol, CT
Afternoon in Bristol on Tuesday
Local time
1:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
33°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
28 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
15m 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?
This route is primarily a highway-focused drive, with 74% of your time spent cruising on faster roads. You will spend the bulk of your journey on CT 72, which offers an uninterrupted 7.6-mile stretch that defines the core of the trip. The experience transitions from the initial highway pace into local navigation as you utilize Riverside Avenue and Main Street to reach your destination. While the highway segments offer consistent speed, the final portion of the drive requires you to adjust to local road conditions as you enter Bristol.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.6 mi on CT 72.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 72 and Riverside Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CT 71 / Franklin Square.
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 10 decision points packed into just 10.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 15m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CT 71 / Franklin Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (CT 72): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting 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 15m. Total distance: 10.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.6 miles on CT 72. 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 Bristol, 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 (CT 71 / Franklin Square): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.1 miles (CT 72): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bristol, 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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