Origin
New Haven, CT
Morning in New Haven on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Haven, 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
40m
Distance
28 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Bristol, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
New Haven to Bristol is 28 miles and takes about 40 minutes via Whitney Avenue, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays entirely within Connecticut, moving you from the Northeast region to the same region. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience for the entire 28 miles. Given the brief duration and minimal highway share, this trip is best suited for a same-day excursion, allowing ample time for exploration at your destination or along the way if you choose to extend your travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Whitney Avenue | 9.8 mi | 14m |
| Highland Avenue | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| South Main Street | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| West Street | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Middle Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| I 84 | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Riverside Avenue | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Prospect Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Whitney Avenue
— 9.8 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Haven, CT and Bristol, CT.
1
Start on College Street
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
College Street
2
Continue on Prospect Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Prospect Street
3
Turn right onto Edwards Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Edwards Street
4
Turn left onto Whitney Avenue
9.8 mi
·
14 min
·
Whitney Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on CT 10
3.1 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on CT 10
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Highland Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Continue on CT 10
0.2 mi
·
13 sec
·
Cheshire Road
8
Continue on CT 10
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
·
Norton Street
9
Continue on CT 10
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
South Main Street
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
11
Continue on this road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
12
Merge onto I 84
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
I 84
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 31
Toward CT 229: West Street, Bristol
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn left onto CT 229
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
West Street
Use the left lane.
15
Continue on CT 229
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Middle Street
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn left onto CT 72
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Riverside Avenue
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left onto CT 72
276 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
18
Turn right onto CT 72
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
School Street
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left onto CT 69
71 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Street
Use the left lane.
20
Arrive at destination
CT 69
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 19.2 and 28 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
19.2 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward I 84 East: Hartford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
8
21.7 mi into trip
|
~30m in
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 31
Toward CT 229: West Street, Bristol
6
22 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
CT 229 / West Street
Turn left onto CT 229 / West Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
27.6 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
CT 72 / School Street
Turn right onto CT 72 / School Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
28 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
CT 69 / West Street
Turn left onto CT 69 / West Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.51 one way
$9.02 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.96 | $9.92 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.36 | $10.72 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.18 | $12.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.92 | $1.79 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Morning in Bristol on Tuesday
Local time
6:56 AM
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
10 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
40m 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 characterized by its frequent turns, making it a distinctly local drive rather than a high-speed transit. With only a 7% highway share, you'll spend most of your time navigating city streets and local roads like Whitney Avenue, Highland Avenue, and South Main Street. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 9.8 miles on Whitney Avenue. Be prepared for a dynamic driving experience with many changes in direction and speed as you make your way north.
Only 7% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.8 mi on Whitney Avenue.
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 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 19.2 miles in.
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 28 miles you will encounter 10 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: at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22 miles (CT 229 / West Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in New Haven, CT
Full guide →New Haven is a city in Connecticut that is best known as the home of Yale University.
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 40m. Total distance: 28 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m 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 9.8 miles on Whitney Avenue. 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: at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22 miles (CT 229 / West Street): 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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