Origin
New Haven, CT
Morning in New Haven on Tuesday
Local time
6:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Haven, CT to Kensington, 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
37m
Distance
27.2 mi
44 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Kensington, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 27.2-mile journey from New Haven to Kensington, Connecticut, is a quick 37-minute drive, making it a perfect option for a day trip. You'll primarily be on the Wilbur Cross Parkway and Dixwell Avenue, with a significant portion on the Berlin Turnpike, offering a 76% highway experience. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this route is budget-friendly for a short excursion within the Northeast region. No overnight stays are necessary, allowing for maximum flexibility in your schedule. The drive is designed for efficiency, getting you to your destination without a substantial time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilbur Cross Parkway | 17.6 mi | 21m |
| Dixwell Avenue | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| Berlin Turnpike | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Farmington Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Worthington Ridge | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| College Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Tower Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Middletown Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Wilbur Cross Parkway
— 17.6 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Haven, CT and Kensington, CT.
1
Start on College Street
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
College Street
2
Turn left onto Grove Street
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Grove Street
3
Continue on Tower Parkway
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Tower Parkway
4
Turn right onto Broadway
43 ft
·
0 sec
·
Broadway
5
Turn slight right onto Dixwell Avenue
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Dixwell Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Toward CT 15 North: Hartford
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto CT 15
18 mi
·
21 min
·
Wilbur Cross Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Continue on US 5; CT 15
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Berlin Turnpike
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Turn left onto Middletown Road
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Middletown Road
10
At end of road, turn right onto Worthington Ridge
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Worthington Ridge
11
Turn left onto Farmington Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Farmington Avenue
12
At end of road, turn left onto CT 372
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Farmington Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Turn sharp left onto CT 71
45 ft
·
0 sec
·
New Britain Road
14
Arrive at destination
CT 71
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 4.4 and 27.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
4.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward CT 15 North: Hartford
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward CT 15 North: Hartford
5
4.6 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway
Merge onto CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
25.3 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
Worthington Ridge
At end of road, turn right onto Worthington Ridge
Navigation decision point
6
26.1 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
CT 372 / Farmington Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto CT 372 / Farmington Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
27.2 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
CT 71 / New Britain Road
Turn sharp left onto CT 71 / New Britain Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.38 one way
$8.76 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.82 | $9.64 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.21 | $10.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.01 | $12.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.20
Berlin Turnpike
(2.9 mi)
$0.20
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 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 | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
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
Kensington, CT
Morning in Kensington on Tuesday
Local time
6:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°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
39 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
37m 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 highway-focused drive for most of this 27.2-mile trip. With 76% of the route on main roads like the Wilbur Cross Parkway and Berlin Turnpike, you'll encounter mostly higher-speed travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch covers 17.6 miles on the Wilbur Cross Parkway, offering a solid period of consistent driving. While primarily a highway experience, the transition onto Dixwell Avenue and parts of the Berlin Turnpike might introduce more varied traffic conditions as you approach your destination. It's a route built for getting from point A to point B efficiently.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.6 mi on Wilbur Cross Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Wilbur Cross Parkway and Dixwell Avenue. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 27.2 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 4.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (Worthington Ridge): Navigation decision point.
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 37m. Total distance: 27.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.6 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.20 in tolls one way, starting with Berlin Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 4.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.6 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (Worthington Ridge): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Weir Farm 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 Kensington, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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