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Trip from Orange, CT to Hartford, CT

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

55m

Distance

41.5 mi

67 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 51m ★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 4m
8 PM
0h 53m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Orange, CT, CT

Orange, CT

André Cogez

Downtown Hartford, CT, CT

Hartford, CT

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 41.5-mile drive from Orange to Hartford, Connecticut, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 55 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a day trip, with a modest fuel cost of around $7. The route primarily follows major roadways, making it a convenient option for getting between these two Northeast locations. You'll spend most of your time on highways, so expect a direct and efficient journey. This drive is ideal when you want to get from point A to point B without much fuss, offering a no-nonsense travel experience.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Wilbur Cross Parkway 26.6 mi 32m
Berlin Turnpike 11 mi 14m
Broad Street 1.9 mi 3m
Maple Avenue 0.8 mi 1m
Old Grassy Hill Road 0.7 mi 1m
Orange Center Road 0.3 mi <1m
Capitol Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Armory Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Wilbur Cross Parkway — 26.6 mi, about 32m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Orange, CT and Hartford, CT.

1

Start on CT 152

0.3 mi · 42 sec · Orange Center Road
2

Turn left onto Old Grassy Hill Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Old Grassy Hill Road
3

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 16 sec
4

At end of road, turn right onto CT 15

27 mi · 32 min · Wilbur Cross Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Continue on US 5; CT 15

9.9 mi · 12 min · Berlin Turnpike
Use the straight / right lanes.
6

Continue on CT 314

1.1 mi · 2 min · Berlin Turnpike
7

Continue on Maple Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · Maple Avenue
8

Turn left onto Broad Street

1.9 mi · 3 min · Broad Street
9

Turn right onto Capitol Avenue

382 ft · 16 sec · Capitol Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
10

Turn left onto Armory Road

111 ft · 9 sec · Armory Road
11

Arrive at destination

Armory Road

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Meriden, CT, CT

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Meriden, CT

21 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

West Hartford, CT

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Meriden, CT

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.8 miles from Orange, CT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 5

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 41.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

3
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | Old Grassy Hill Road

Turn left onto Old Grassy Hill Road

Navigation decision point

6
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in | CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway

At end of road, turn right onto CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
3
39.5 mi into trip | ~51m in | Broad Street

Turn left onto Broad Street

Navigation decision point

6
41.4 mi into trip | ~54m in | Capitol Avenue

Turn right onto Capitol Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
5
41.5 mi into trip | ~55m in | Armory Road

Turn left onto Armory Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.68 one way

$13.36 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $7.35 $14.70
premium $4.86 $7.95 $15.89
diesel $5.61 $9.16 $18.33

Estimated Tolls: $0.77

Berlin Turnpike (9.9 mi) $0.69
Berlin Turnpike (1.1 mi) $0.08

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$1

Total

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.5 0 $4.36 $1.99
Efficient EV 10.4 0 $3.63 $1.66
EV Truck/SUV 16.6 0 $5.81 $2.66

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Orange, CT

Morning in Orange on Tuesday

Local time

8:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Partly Sunny

NW 10 mph 6% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 1:57PM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Upton NY

Destination

Hartford, CT

Morning in Hartford on Tuesday

Local time

8:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°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

14 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

55m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 90% of this 41.5-mile journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 26.6 miles on the Wilbur Cross Parkway, setting the tone for a largely high-speed experience. You'll transition from the Wilbur Cross Parkway to the Berlin Turnpike and then to Broad Street, indicating a shift from parkway to a more arterial road as you approach your destination. The character of the drive is predominantly efficient and direct, minimizing time spent on slower, local roads.

90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 26.6 mi on Wilbur Cross Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Wilbur Cross Parkway and Berlin Turnpike. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Old Grassy Hill Road.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 55m drive. You will face about 5 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 (Old Grassy Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 39.5 miles (Broad Street): Navigation decision point.

About the Cities

Arriving in Hartford, CT

Full guide →

Hartford is the capital of the state of Connecticut in the United States of America. It is home to the country's oldest public art museum (Wadsworth Atheneum), and the Mark Twain House, in which the author wrote his most famous works and raised his family. Mark Twain wrote in 1868, "Of all the beautiful towns it has been my fortune to see this is the chief."

Top landmarks

  • Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art — art museum in Hartford, Connecticut
  • Connecticut State Capitol — state capitol building of the U.S. state of Connecticut
  • Mark Twain House — non-profit organization in the USA

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 55m. Total distance: 41.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

55m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (90%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 26.6 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.77 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 — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 (Old Grassy Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 1.1 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Lane positioning matters here; at 39.5 miles (Broad Street): 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 Hartford, 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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