Origin
Wallingford, CT
Late night in Wallingford on Sunday
Local time
3:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Wallingford, CT to Fairfield, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
35.6 mi
57 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Wallingford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Fairfield, CT
David Kanigan
Trip Overview
Traveling from Wallingford to Fairfield is a quick, efficient 35.6-mile trip that typically takes about 47 minutes. Since the entire journey stays within the Northeast region of Connecticut, it is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion. You will rely primarily on the Wilbur Cross Parkway, CT 8, and I-95 to complete the transit. With fuel costs estimated at just $6, this is a budget-friendly option for commuters or casual travelers. Because the duration is under an hour, you do not need to worry about overnight accommodations or breaking the trip into segments. It is a straightforward, no-nonsense drive that gets you from point A to point B with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilbur Cross Parkway | 20.5 mi | 25m |
| CT 8 | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| I 95 | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| Merritt Parkway | 3 mi | 3m |
| Quinnipiac Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Mill Plain Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Colony Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Post Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Wilbur Cross Parkway
— 20.5 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Wallingford, CT and Fairfield, CT.
1
Start on this road
216 ft
·
21 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto US 5
213 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Colony Road
3
Turn right onto Quinnipiac Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Quinnipiac Street
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward CT 15 South: New Haven
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto CT 15
20 mi
·
25 min
·
Wilbur Cross Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on CT 15
3.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Merritt Parkway
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 34
Toward CT 8, CT 108: Bridgeport, Waterbury
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward CT 8 South, CT 108 South: Bridgeport
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward CT 8 South: Bridgeport
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto CT 8
4.5 mi
·
5 min
·
CT 8
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 95 South: New York City
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto I 95
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 21
Toward Mill Plain Road
Use the slight right lane.
14
Turn left onto Mill Plain Road
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Mill Plain Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
15
Turn right onto US 1
186 ft
·
3 sec
·
Post Road
16
Arrive at destination
US 1
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.8 miles from Wallingford, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 35 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward CT 15 South: New Haven
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward CT 15 South: New Haven
8
24.5 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward CT 8, CT 108: Bridgeport, 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 34
Toward CT 8, CT 108: Bridgeport, Waterbury
7
25.2 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight left at fork toward CT 8 South: Bridgeport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward CT 8 South: Bridgeport
7
30.5 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South: New York City
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 South: New York City
7
35 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward Mill Plain Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 21
Toward Mill Plain Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.73 one way
$11.46 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.31 | $12.61 |
| premium | $4.86 | $6.82 | $13.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.86 | $15.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 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 | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.11 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.98 | $2.28 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Fairfield, CT
Late night in Fairfield on Sunday
Local time
3:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°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
3 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
47m 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 highway-focused experience, as 90% of this route consists of high-speed transit. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 20.5 miles on the Wilbur Cross Parkway before transitioning through other major arteries. The personality of this drive is strictly functional, prioritizing speed and connectivity over winding backroads. As you move from Wallingford toward Fairfield, the road infrastructure shifts to handle the heavier traffic flow typical of these Connecticut corridors. Behind the wheel, you will find a consistent, fast-paced rhythm that demands your full attention as you navigate the transition between parkway and interstate systems.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.5 mi on Wilbur Cross Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Wilbur Cross Parkway and CT 8. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 35.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
168 ft
27 ft
Total Climb
159 ft
Total Descent
186 ft
Highest Point
168 ft
~25.4 mi in
Elevation Range
141 ft
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 Wallingford, CT to Fairfield, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Waterbury along the way.
Waterbury
24.5 mi in
|
~31m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 35.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m 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 20.5 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. 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 Fairfield, 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 0.9 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 24.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Fairfield, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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