Origin
Waterbury, CT
Late night in Waterbury on Sunday
Local time
4:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterbury, CT to New Britain, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
28m
Distance
21.5 mi
35 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 26m
★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 30m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 27m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
New Britain, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel between Waterbury and New Britain, you can expect a quick, straightforward 21.5-mile journey. Clocking in at approximately 28 minutes, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You will primarily navigate via I-84 and CT-72, making it a highly efficient connection within Connecticut. With a modest fuel budget of $3, this route is as economical as it is fast. Because both cities are located in the Northeast, the transition between them is seamless and familiar. It is a practical choice for commuters or anyone needing a reliable, no-fuss transit corridor.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 17.1 mi | 20m |
| CT 72 | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Meadow Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Columbus Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Square | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Whiting Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 84
— 17.1 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterbury, CT and New Britain, CT.
1
Start on West Main Street
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Turn right onto Meadow Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Meadow Street
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Toward I 84 East: Hartford
4
Merge onto I 84
17 mi
·
20 min
·
I 84
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto CT 72
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
CT 72
Exit 35
Toward CT 72 East: New Britain
Use the slight left lane.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 1D
Toward Downtown New Britain
Use the slight right lane.
7
Continue on Columbus Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Columbus Boulevard
8
Turn right onto Main Street
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Main Street
9
Turn right onto CT 71
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Franklin Square
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left
195 ft
·
21 sec
11
Turn left onto Whiting Street
154 ft
·
4 sec
·
Whiting Street
12
Arrive at destination
Whiting Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 21.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1 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 right lanes.
8
18.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
CT 72
Keep slight left at fork onto CT 72 toward CT 72 East: New Britain
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 35
Toward CT 72 East: New Britain
7
20.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward Downtown New Britain
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 1D
Toward Downtown New Britain
5
21.2 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
CT 71 / Franklin Square
Turn right onto CT 71 / Franklin Square
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
21.4 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.46 one way
$6.92 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.81 | $7.62 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.12 | $8.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.75 | $9.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 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 | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
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
New Britain, CT
Late night in New Britain on Sunday
Local time
4:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
20 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
28m 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?
This is a highway-focused drive, with 90% of your time spent on high-speed roads. You will settle into a rhythmic flow for the longest stretch, which covers 17.1 miles on I-84. The personality of this trip is defined by its speed and directness rather than winding scenic detours. You start with local navigation on Meadow Street before merging into the interstate traffic that carries you toward your destination. Expect a consistent, functional driving experience that prioritizes getting you from point A to point B without unnecessary complexity.
90% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.1 mi on I 84.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 84 and CT 72. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near I 84.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 21.5 miles you will encounter 9 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 1 miles (I 84): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.1 miles (CT 72): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in New Britain, CT
Full guide →New Britain is a city in Connecticut. The "Hardware City" is the official nickname of the city.
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 28m. Total distance: 21.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
28m 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 17.1 miles on I 84. 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 New Britain, 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 1 miles (I 84): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.1 miles (CT 72): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at New Britain, 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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