Origin
North Stamford, CT
Afternoon in North Stamford on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Stamford, CT to Darien, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
16m
Distance
8.5 mi
14 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 15m
★
6 AM
0h 17m
8 AM
0h 20m
10 AM
0h 18m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 18m
5 PM
0h 20m
8 PM
0h 16m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Stamford, CT
David Kanigan
Darien, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
North Stamford, CT to Darien, CT is 8.5 miles and takes about 16 minutes via Merritt Parkway, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Connecticut and the Northeast region, offering a quick transition between suburban areas. It's a straightforward drive, mostly on a parkway, making it ideal for a quick errand or a smooth connection to another nearby destination. You won't need to plan for an overnight stay; this trip is designed for completion within a few hours.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Merritt Parkway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Mansfield Avenue | 2.6 mi | 6m |
| High Ridge Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| North Stamford Road | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| South Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Sedgewick Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Post Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cascade Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Merritt Parkway
— 2.9 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Stamford, CT and Darien, CT.
1
Start on Cascade Road
139 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cascade Road
2
Turn straight onto North Stamford Road
475 ft
·
18 sec
·
North Stamford Road
3
Continue on North Stamford Road
0.2 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Stamford Road
4
Turn left onto CT 137
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
High Ridge Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
6
Merge onto CT 15
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Merritt Parkway
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 14
Toward CT 124: New Canaan, Darien
Use the slight right lane.
8
Turn right onto CT 124
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
South Avenue
9
Continue on CT 124
2.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Mansfield Avenue
10
Turn left onto Sedgewick Avenue
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Sedgewick Avenue
11
Turn right onto US 1
195 ft
·
5 sec
·
Post Road
12
Turn right
192 ft
·
14 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 8.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Stamford Road
Continue onto North Stamford Road
Navigation decision point
8
5.3 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward CT 124: New Canaan, Darien
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 14
Toward CT 124: New Canaan, Darien
5
5.5 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
CT 124 / South Avenue
Turn right onto CT 124 / South Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
8.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
US 1 / Post Road
Turn right onto US 1 / Post Road
Navigation decision point
5
8.5 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.37 one way
$2.74 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $1.51 | $3.01 |
| premium | $4.86 | $1.63 | $3.26 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.88 | $3.75 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.89 | $0.41 |
| Efficient EV | 2.1 | 0 | $0.74 | $0.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.19 | $0.54 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Darien, CT
Afternoon in Darien on Sunday
Local time
4:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°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
1 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
16m 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?
About 35% of this 8.5-mile drive is on the highway, specifically the Merritt Parkway. You'll experience a stretch of 2.9 miles on the Merritt Parkway before transitioning to surface roads like Mansfield Avenue and High Ridge Road. Expect a mix of limited-access highway cruising and more typical suburban street driving as you approach your destination.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.9 mi on Merritt Parkway.
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 0.1 miles in near North Stamford Road.
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 16m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Stamford Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles (CT 124 / South Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 16m. Total distance: 8.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.9 miles on Merritt Parkway. 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 0.1 miles (North Stamford Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5.5 miles (CT 124 / South Avenue): 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 Darien, 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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