Origin
New Haven, CT
Morning in New Haven on Tuesday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Haven, CT to Waterbury, 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
34m
Distance
22.9 mi
37 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Waterbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 36.9-mile journey from New Haven to Waterbury, Connecticut, is designed for a single day, taking about 40 minutes to complete. You'll navigate primarily local roads, with Grove Street, Tower Parkway, and Whalley Avenue forming the backbone of your route. As this is a local drive with no highway share, expect a consistent pace through populated areas. With an estimated fuel cost of $6, it's an economical option for a quick trip. The drive is straightforward and won't require an overnight stay, offering flexibility for your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 8 | 11 mi | 13m |
| Amity Road | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Whalley Avenue | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Seymour Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| New Haven Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Riverside Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| College Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Tower Parkway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 8
— 11 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Haven, CT and Waterbury, 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
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Tower Parkway
4
Turn slight right onto Whalley Avenue
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Whalley Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on CT 63
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Amity Road
Use the straight lane.
6
Turn left onto CT 67
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Seymour Road
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on CT 67
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
New Haven Road
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
9
Merge onto CT 8
11 mi
·
12 min
·
CT 8
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on CT 8
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
CT 8
Exit 31
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 30B
Toward Downtown, Waterbury
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto Riverside Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Riverside Street
13
Continue on Riverside Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Riverside Street
14
Turn right onto West Main Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
West Main Street
15
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 22.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Grove Street
Turn left onto Grove Street
Navigation decision point
5
6.9 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
CT 67 / Seymour Road
Turn left onto CT 67 / Seymour Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
11.1 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
CT 8
Merge onto CT 8
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
22.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward Downtown, Waterbury
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 30B
Toward Downtown, Waterbury
5
22.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
West Main Street
Turn right onto West Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.69 one way
$7.37 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.06 | $8.11 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.39 | $8.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.06 | $10.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.40 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Waterbury, CT
Morning in Waterbury on Tuesday
Local time
11:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°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
15 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
34m 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 as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be making frequent turns and navigating through town settings rather than open highways. With a 0% highway share, you'll experience the full local flavor of Connecticut's roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch isn't specified, but given the profile, anticipate a steady rhythm of navigating intersections and urban landscapes. Expect a driving experience that keeps you engaged with the surroundings, rather than a high-speed transit.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11 mi on CT 8.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Grove Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 34m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Grove Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles (CT 67 / Seymour Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles (CT 8): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
Arriving in Waterbury, CT
Full guide →Waterbury is a small city in Connecticut that calls itself Brass City because its industrial base was built on metal industries, including silver, but particularly brass. It is a pleasant city to visit, with a historic downtown, nearby parks, and culinary attractions like a chocolate factory and artisanal bakeries.
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 34m. Total distance: 22.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11 miles on CT 8. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.3 miles (Grove Street): Navigation decision point; at 6.9 miles (CT 67 / Seymour Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 11.1 miles (CT 8): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Waterbury, 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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