Origin
Stratford, CT
Late night in Stratford on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stratford, CT to Waterbury, 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
40m
Distance
28.9 mi
46 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Stratford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Waterbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 28.9-mile drive from Stratford to Waterbury, Connecticut, is a quick trip that can easily be completed in about 40 minutes. With 78% of the journey on highways, it’s primarily a highway-focused experience, making it a straightforward option for a single-day excursion. You can expect to spend around $5 on fuel for this route. Since it's a short drive through the Northeast region of Connecticut, you won't need to worry about overnight stays. This route is ideal for a brief journey when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 8 | 22.6 mi | 28m |
| Huntington Road | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| Main Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Riverside Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Wells Place | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| East Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Jane Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 8
— 22.6 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stratford, CT and Waterbury, CT.
1
Start on Jane Street
159 ft
·
12 sec
·
Jane Street
2
Turn left onto East Street
209 ft
·
11 sec
·
East Street
3
Turn right onto Wells Place
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Wells Place
4
Turn left onto CT 113
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
5
Turn left onto Huntington Road
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Huntington Road
Use the straight lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward CT 8 North: Waterbury
7
Merge onto CT 8
22 mi
·
27 min
·
CT 8
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on CT 8
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
CT 8
Exit 31
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 30B
Toward Downtown, Waterbury
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn straight onto Riverside Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Riverside Street
11
Continue on Riverside Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Riverside Street
12
Turn right onto West Main Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
West Main Street
13
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 28.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
East Street
Turn left onto East Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Wells Place
Turn right onto Wells Place
Navigation decision point
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Huntington Road
Turn left onto Huntington Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
5.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
CT 8
Merge onto CT 8
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
28.1 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward Downtown, Waterbury
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 30B
Toward Downtown, Waterbury
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.65 one way
$9.30 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $5.12 | $10.24 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.53 | $11.07 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.38 | $12.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.03 | $1.39 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.53 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.05 | $1.85 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Waterbury, CT
Late night in Waterbury on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°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
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.
What kind of drive is this?
The personality of this drive is distinctly highway-focused, with a significant 78% of the 28.9 miles utilizing faster roads. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 22.6 miles primarily on CT 8. While much of the route involves highway driving, you'll also encounter sections on Huntington Road and Main Street, suggesting a transition into more local thoroughfares as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll spend most of your time on faster roads but should anticipate a change in pace and road type.
78% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.6 mi on CT 8.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 8 and Huntington Road. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near East Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 28.9 miles you will encounter 8 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: near the start (East Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Wells Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (Huntington Road): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Stratford, CT
Full guide →Stratford is a town in Connecticut. Stratford, Connecticut was founded in 1639. It is in New England and located on the Long Island Sound. It is east of the Housatonic River and it also part of Fairfield County. Stratford is 18.7 miles and has a population of 51,384 people. Stratford is only an hour in driving distance from parts New York. Stratford consists of multiple public bathing beaches, five marinas, fishing piers, and two public boat launching facilities. Stratfords' mission statement is as follows, "To enhance the quality of life within the community by providing services with professionalism and a commitment to excellence." It is quite noticeable driving through the town of Stratford that the town sticks to their mission statement.
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 40m. Total distance: 28.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (78%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.6 miles on CT 8. 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: near the start (East Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Wells Place): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (Huntington Road): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Waterbury, 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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