Origin
Stamford, CT
Late night in Stamford on Tuesday
Local time
4:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stamford, CT to Madison, 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
1h 20m
Distance
57.8 mi
93 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Stamford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Madison, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion through the Northeast, the 57.8-mile journey from Stamford to Madison, CT, is a straightforward trek. You can easily complete this drive in about 1 hour and 20 minutes, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. With a fuel budget of approximately $9, the route is highly economical for those looking to explore the Connecticut coastline. You will navigate primarily via Broad Street, Grove Street, and I-95 North to reach your destination. Because the total travel time is relatively short, you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay unless you choose to extend your visit. This trip offers a practical, low-cost way to traverse the state without significant planning or logistical overhead.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 52.3 mi | 1h 8m |
| Forbes Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Long Wharf Drive | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Frontage Road | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Durham Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Grove Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Broad Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Atlantic Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 52.3 mi, about 1h 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stamford, CT and Madison, CT.
1
Start on Atlantic Street
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Atlantic Street
2
Turn right onto Broad Street
0.3 mi
·
57 sec
·
Broad Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn right onto Grove Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Grove Street
4
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 95 North: New Haven
5
Merge onto I 95
38 mi
·
51 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 46
Toward Long Wharf Drive, Sargent Drive
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn left onto Long Wharf Drive
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Long Wharf Drive
Use the straight lane.
8
Continue on East Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
East Street
9
Turn right onto US 1
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Water Street
10
Continue on US 1
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Forbes Avenue
11
Turn right onto US 1
0.7 mi
·
48 sec
·
Frontage Road
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 95 North
13
Merge onto I 95
14 mi
·
16 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 61
Toward CT 79: Madison, North Madison
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork
177 ft
·
6 sec
16
Turn slight right onto CT 79
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Durham Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Turn left onto US 1
168 ft
·
11 sec
·
Boston Post Road
Use the left lane.
18
Turn left
171 ft
·
18 sec
19
Turn left
175 ft
·
12 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.9 miles from Stamford, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 56.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Broad Street
Turn right onto Broad Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 North: New Haven
Navigation decision point
Toward I 95 North: New Haven
8
39.1 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Take the exit toward Long Wharf Drive, Sargent Drive
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 46
Toward Long Wharf Drive, Sargent Drive
6
39.3 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
Long Wharf Drive
Turn left onto Long Wharf Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
8
56.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward CT 79: Madison, North Madison
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 61
Toward CT 79: Madison, North Madison
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.30 one way
$18.61 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $10.24 | $20.48 |
| premium | $4.86 | $11.07 | $22.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.76 | $25.52 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.07 | $2.77 |
| Efficient EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.06 | $2.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.1 | 0 | $8.09 | $3.70 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Madison, CT
Late night in Madison on Tuesday
Local time
4:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°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
16 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
1h 20m 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 that demands your full attention as you transition between city streets and the interstate. While the route spans nearly 60 miles, it lacks the monotony of a long-haul interstate grind, as you will be navigating through local corridors before jumping onto I-95 North. The road personality shifts from the initial urban navigation on Broad and Grove Streets to the more consistent pace of the highway. Because the highway share is 0% of the total experience based on the profile provided, you should prepare for a more hands-on driving experience rather than a cruise-control commute. Staying alert through the early turns is key to managing the technical nature of these local roads.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 52.3 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Forbes Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Broad Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57.8 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 39.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Stamford, CT
Full guide →Stamford, Connecticut is the fourth largest city in the state, a center of regional activity in Fairfield County, and a hub of the Metro New York area. Its position between NYC and the rest of Connecticut defines Stamford’s character. Stamford takes on a big-city atmosphere in its downtown and the adjacent neighborhoods, then transitions to a more traditional suburban small-town Connecticut atmosphere in its northern sections. Stamford plays an active role in the NYC metro and Fairfield County art and music scene. It also has one of the largest and most diverse selections of restaurants and shopping in Fairfield County. Many large corporations are headquartered in Stamford, so it hosts a large reverse-commute from New York City in addition to commuters from Connecticut and nearby Westchester County, New York.
Arriving in Madison, CT
Full guide →Madison is a town in New Haven County of Connecticut. It is in the central part of the Connecticut shoreline. The population of Madison was around 18,000 as of 2014. Much of Madison is known for its pricey, historical homes and its miles of beach.
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 1h 20m. Total distance: 57.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (90%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 52.3 miles on I 95. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Madison, CT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.7 miles: Navigation decision point; at 39.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Madison, 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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