Origin
New Haven, CT
Morning in New Haven on Tuesday
Local time
6:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Haven, CT to Meriden, 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
28m
Distance
19.6 mi
32 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 33m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from New Haven to Meriden, you are looking at a quick, 19.6-mile trip that typically takes about 28 minutes. This short jaunt is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about overnight logistics. You can expect to spend approximately $3 on fuel for the journey, making it a very budget-friendly transit. By utilizing a mix of the Wilbur Cross Parkway, Dixwell Avenue, and South Broad Street, you will navigate through the heart of the Northeast region. It is a straightforward drive that prioritizes efficiency, allowing you to move between these two Connecticut cities with ease.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilbur Cross Parkway | 10.7 mi | 12m |
| Dixwell Avenue | 3.8 mi | 6m |
| South Broad Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| North Colony Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| College Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Tower Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Grove Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Wilbur Cross Parkway
— 10.7 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Haven, CT and Meriden, 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
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Wilbur Cross Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 61
Toward US 5: Wallingford, Meriden
Use the right lane.
9
Turn right onto US 5
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Colony Road
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on US 5
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
South Broad Street
11
Turn sharp left onto East Main Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
East Main Street
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 4.4 and 18.8 — 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.
8
15.3 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward US 5: Wallingford, Meriden
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 61
Toward US 5: Wallingford, Meriden
5
15.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 5 / North Colony Road
Turn right onto US 5 / North Colony Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
18.8 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
East Main Street
Turn sharp left onto East Main Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.16 one way
$6.31 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.47 | $6.94 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.75 | $7.51 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.33 | $8.65 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Meriden, CT
Morning in Meriden on Tuesday
Local time
6:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°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
17 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
28m 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 offers a mixed driving profile, transitioning between high-speed parkway travel and local surface streets. With 56% of the journey spent on highways, you will experience a balance of pace as you move toward your destination. Your longest uninterrupted stretch covers 10.7 miles on the Wilbur Cross Parkway, providing the primary flow for the trip before you transition onto Dixwell Avenue and South Broad Street. The character of the road shifts from the controlled speed of the parkway to the more frequent stops required on local roads. You will find that the drive feels functional and direct, shifting gears as you leave the urban environment of New Haven for Meriden.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on Wilbur Cross Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.4 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 19.6 miles you will encounter 8 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 15.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
287 ft
17 ft
Total Climb
343 ft
Total Descent
238 ft
Highest Point
287 ft
~18.2 mi in
Elevation Range
270 ft
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.
Arriving in Meriden, CT
Full guide →Meriden is a city in the Connecticut River Valley. Although not a major tourist destination, it does have an architecturally notable center.
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 28m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. 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 Meriden, 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 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 15.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Meriden, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Meriden, CT
More trips to Meriden, CT
Explore more options from New Haven, CT or browse trips ending in Meriden, CT.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CT road trips.