Origin
Southbury, CT
Morning in Southbury on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Southbury, CT to Bristol, 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
32m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 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 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Southbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Bristol, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 26.6-mile journey from Southbury to Bristol, Connecticut, is a quick trip that should take you about 34 minutes to complete. With a modest fuel cost of around $4, it's an economical option for a day trip. The route primarily utilizes local roads, including Main Street North, and briefly touches upon the University of Connecticut Campus area, with no highway driving involved. It’s a turn-heavy local drive that makes for a straightforward, short excursion within the Northeast region. You won't need an overnight stay for this one, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 10.1 mi | 11m |
| Wolcott Road | 6.8 mi | 10m |
| Wolcott Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Long Hill Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Walnut Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Main Street North | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Elm Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 84
— 10.1 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Southbury, CT and Bristol, CT.
1
Start on US 6; CT 67
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
Main Street North
2
Continue on CT 67
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Main Street North
3
Turn left
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 84 East: Waterbury
4
Merge onto I 84
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 84
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 22
Toward University of Connecticut Campus
Use the slight right lane.
6
Turn left onto South Main Street
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
South Main Street
7
Turn sharp right onto Union Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Union Street
8
Turn left onto South Elm Street
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
South Elm Street
9
Turn right onto East Main Street
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
East Main Street
10
Turn left onto Cherry Street
490 ft
·
10 sec
·
Cherry Street
11
Turn right onto Walnut Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Walnut Street
12
Continue on Long Hill Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Long Hill Road
13
At end of road, turn left onto Wolcott Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Wolcott Street
14
Continue on CT 69
6.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Wolcott Road
15
Continue on CT 69
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Wolcott Street
16
Continue on CT 69
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
West Street
17
Arrive at destination
CT 69
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 11.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 84
Merge onto I 84
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
11 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward University of Connecticut Campus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 22
Toward University of Connecticut Campus
5
11.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
South Main Street
Turn left onto South Main Street
Navigation decision point
6
11.4 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Union Street
Turn sharp right onto Union Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
11.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
South Elm Street
Turn left onto South Elm Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.62 one way
$7.24 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.99 | $7.97 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.31 | $8.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 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 | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
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
Bristol, CT
Morning in Bristol on Tuesday
Local time
8:41 AM
EDT
Current temp
33°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
10 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
32m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, characterized by its 0% highway share. The majority of your travel will be on local roads, including Main Street North, with a short segment passing through the University of Connecticut Campus area. Since there are no significant highway stretches, the longest uninterrupted driving segment is not applicable here. This drive is more about navigating local streets and making frequent turns rather than covering long distances at high speeds, offering a more connected feel to the towns you pass through.
45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.1 mi on I 84.
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 0.9 miles in near I 84.
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 32m drive. You will face about 10 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles (I 84): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.3 miles (South Main Street): Navigation decision point.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Southbury, CT to Bristol, CT, road signs begin pointing toward University Of Connecticut Campus along the way.
University Of Connecticut Campus
11 mi in
|
~13m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.1 miles on I 84. 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 0.9 miles (I 84): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 11 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.3 miles (South Main Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bristol, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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