Spanning 76.6 miles across Vermont, this straightforward journey from Saint Johnsbury to Colchester typically takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes. Because of the manageable distance, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay. You can expect to spend approximately $12 on fuel, making it a budget-friendly option for your travel plans. The trip relies primarily on U.S. Route 2 and I-89, providing a reliable connection between these two Northeastern locations. Whether you are commuting or heading out for a quick getaway, this drive offers a direct path that keeps travel time efficient.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
38.3 miles from Saint Johnsbury, VT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 50m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
U.S. Route 2 West
25.7 mi
29m
I 89
25.1 mi
28m
U.S. Route 2
7.7 mi
12m
Vermont Route 289
4.5 mi
6m
River Road
2.9 mi
4m
Vermont Route 117
2.8 mi
4m
Main Street
1.6 mi
3m
River Street
1.2 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
U.S. Route 2 West
— 25.7 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Johnsbury, VT and Colchester, VT.
1
Start on US 2
105 ft·7 sec·Portland Street
2
Turn left onto US 2; US 5
0.1 mi·15 sec·Railroad Street
3
Turn right onto US 2
0.3 mi·30 sec·Eastern Avenue
4
At end of road, turn left onto US 2; US 5 Alternate
0.1 mi·11 sec·Main Street
5
Turn slight right onto US 2
0.4 mi·39 sec·Western Avenue
6
Continue on US 2
0.6 mi·52 sec·U.S. Route 2
7
Continue on US 2
26 mi·29 min·U.S. Route 2 West
8
Continue on US 2
0.2 mi·12 sec·School Street
9
Continue on US 2
0.6 mi·39 sec·High Street
10
Continue on US 2
7.1 mi·11 min·U.S. Route 2
11
Continue on US 2
0.4 mi·48 sec·East Montpelier Road
12
Enter roundabout onto US 2
74 ft·0 sec·East Montpelier Road
13
Continue on US 2
115 ft·1 sec·East Montpelier Road
14
Continue on US 2
1.2 mi·2 min·River Street
15
Continue on US 2
0.5 mi·1 min·Berlin Street
16
Continue on US 2
1.2 mi·2 min·Memorial Drive
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi·17 sec
18
Merge onto I 89
25 mi·28 min·I 89
19
Take the exit
0.4 mi·49 sec
Exit 11Toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
20
Turn right onto US 2
187 ft·6 sec·West Main Street
21
Turn right onto VT 117
0.8 mi·1 min·River Road
22
Continue on VT 117
2.8 mi·4 min·Vermont Route 117
23
Continue on VT 117
2.0 mi·3 min·River Road
24
Turn right onto VT 289
4.5 mi·6 min·Vermont Route 289
Toward VT 289 West
25
At end of road, turn right onto VT 2A
0.8 mi·1 min·Colchester Road
Use the right lane.
26
Continue on VT 2A
1.5 mi·2 min·Main Street
27
Turn right onto East Road
100 ft·2 sec·East Road
28
Arrive at destination
East Road
Trip Plan
Since the drive is relatively short at under two hours, you have plenty of flexibility regarding your departure time. You won't need to plan for any major stops, so feel free to head out whenever it best suits your schedule. Keep in mind that with 86% of the route on highways, maintaining a steady speed is key to reaching Colchester on time. Because there are no mandatory stops included in this 76.6-mile trek, consider fueling up before you leave Saint Johnsbury to avoid potential delays. Use this efficiency to your advantage, allowing you to spend more time at your destination rather than worrying about complex logistics on the road.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 38.3 miles from Saint Johnsbury, VT, or about 50m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 25.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 17 miles or 20m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 38.3 miles or 50m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 22m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Colchester, VT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Saint Johnsbury, VT so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Saint Johnsbury, VT
This is one driving day of about 76.6 miles and 1h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Saint Johnsbury, VT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on U.S. Route 2 West for about 25.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 12
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 74.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|US 2; US 5 / Railroad Street
Turn left onto US 2; US 5 / Railroad Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|US 2 / Eastern Avenue
Turn right onto US 2 / Eastern Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
0.4 mi into trip|~0m in|US 2; US 5 Alternate / Main Street
At end of road, turn left onto US 2; US 5 Alternate / Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
63.7 mi into trip|~1h 20m in
Take the exit toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 11
Toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
7
74.3 mi into trip|~1h 36m in|VT 2A / Colchester Road
At end of road, turn right onto VT 2A / Colchester Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.33 one way
$24.66 round trip
$4.09/gal25.4 MPG avg27 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.50
$13.57
$27.14
premium
$4.86
$14.67
$29.34
diesel
$5.61
$16.91
$33.82
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 26.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
23
0
$8.04
$3.68
Efficient EV
19.2
0
$6.70
$3.06
EV Truck/SUV
30.6
0
$10.72
$4.90
Gas CO2
27 kg
EV CO2
9 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 15, 2026
Origin
Saint Johnsbury, VT
Late night
in Saint Johnsbury on Sunday
Local time
12:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
34°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Colchester, VT
Late night
in Colchester on Sunday
Local time
12:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
5 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
1h 40m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This trip is heavily highway-focused, with 86% of your time spent on high-speed roads. You will navigate a mix of travel styles, starting with U.S. Route 2 West before transitioning onto the interstate. Expect a consistent pace, highlighted by a longest uninterrupted stretch of 25.7 miles on U.S. Route 2 West. The drive balances these faster highway segments with shorter transitions, ensuring you move through the Vermont landscape with steady momentum. It is a functional, efficient drive that prioritizes speed and directness over technical or winding backroads.
86% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.7 mi on U.S. Route 2 West.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on U.S. Route 2 West and I 89. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 2; US 5 / Railroad Street.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 40m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 2; US 5 / Railroad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 2 / Eastern Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (US 2; US 5 Alternate / Main Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
1,553 ft270 ft
Total Climb
1,113 ft
Total Descent
1,440 ft
Highest Point
1,553 ft
~10.9 mi in
Elevation Range
1,283 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Saint Johnsbury, VT to Colchester, VT, road signs begin pointing toward Williston along the way.
Williston
63.7 mi in|~1h 20m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 40m. Total distance: 76.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 25.7 miles on U.S. Route 2 West. 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.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through VT can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 2; US 5 / Railroad Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (US 2 / Eastern Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (US 2; US 5 Alternate / Main Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Colchester, VT before heading back.
