Origin
Waterbury, VT
Late night in Waterbury on Tuesday
Local time
4:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterbury, VT to Colchester, VT
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
39m
Distance
28.3 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 36m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterbury, VT
Wikimedia Commons
Colchester, VT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking for a quick transition between Waterbury and Colchester, this 28.3-mile trip is an ideal candidate for a single-day journey. You will spend roughly 39 minutes on the road, making it a highly efficient connection within Vermont. With a fuel budget of just $5, it is an economical choice for travelers needing to move between these two Northeast locations. Because the duration is so short, there is no need to split this into an overnight stay; you can easily complete the drive in under an hour. The route relies heavily on major infrastructure, ensuring a straightforward experience for those who prefer direct travel over winding backroads. It is a practical, no-nonsense path that gets you to your destination with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 89 | 14.5 mi | 16m |
| Vermont Route 289 | 4.5 mi | 6m |
| River Road | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Vermont Route 117 | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Colchester Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Vermont Route 100 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 89
— 14.5 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterbury, VT and Colchester, VT.
1
Start on Stowe Street
46 ft
·
5 sec
·
Stowe Street
2
Turn right onto US 2; VT 100
0.3 mi
·
52 sec
·
North Main Street
3
Enter roundabout onto VT 100
31 ft
·
1 sec
·
Vermont Route 100
4
Continue on VT 100
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Vermont Route 100
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward I 89 North: Richmond, Burlington
6
Merge onto I 89
14 mi
·
16 min
·
I 89
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 11
Toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
8
Turn right onto US 2
187 ft
·
6 sec
·
West Main Street
9
Turn right onto VT 117
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
River Road
10
Continue on VT 117
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Vermont Route 117
11
Continue on VT 117
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
River Road
12
Turn right onto VT 289
4.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Vermont Route 289
Toward VT 289 West
13
At end of road, turn right onto VT 2A
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Colchester Road
Use the right lane.
14
Continue on VT 2A
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
15
Turn right onto East Road
100 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Road
16
Arrive at destination
East Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 26 — 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
|
US 2; VT 100 / North Main Street
Turn right onto US 2; VT 100 / North Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
VT 100 / Vermont Route 100
Enter roundabout onto VT 100 / Vermont Route 100
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 89 North: Richmond, Burlington
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 89 North: Richmond, Burlington
6
15.4 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 11
Toward US 2: Richmond, Williston
7
26 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
VT 2A / Colchester Road
At end of road, turn right onto VT 2A / Colchester Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.56 one way
$9.11 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $5.01 | $10.03 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.42 | $10.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.25 | $12.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 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 | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
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
Colchester, VT
Late night in Colchester on Tuesday
Local time
4:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°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
1 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
39m 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 trip is heavily highway-focused, with 79% of your time spent on major thoroughfares like I-89 and Vermont Route 289. You can expect a consistent pace throughout the 28.3-mile journey, characterized by a mix of fast interstate travel and arterial road transitions. The longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during the 14.5 miles you spend cruising on I-89, allowing you to settle into a steady rhythm behind the wheel. As you move from the interstate toward River Road, the character of the drive shifts slightly from a high-speed transit to a more localized flow. Overall, it is a functional, efficient drive that prioritizes speed and directness over the slower, winding nature of secondary state routes.
79% 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: 14.5 mi on I 89.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 89 and Vermont Route 289. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 2; VT 100 / North Main Street.
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 39m 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: near the start (US 2; VT 100 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (VT 100 / Vermont Route 100): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Waterbury, VT to Colchester, VT, road signs begin pointing toward Williston along the way.
Williston
15.4 mi in
|
~19m
About the Cities
Starting in Waterbury, VT
Full guide →Stowe is a four-season resort town of 4,400 people (2014) in north-central Vermont at the base of Mount Mansfield—Vermont's highest peak. It is home to Stowe Mountain Ski Resort. It is 10 miles north of Waterbury along Highway 100.
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 39m. Total distance: 28.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (79%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.5 miles on I 89. 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.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through VT can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (US 2; VT 100 / North Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (VT 100 / Vermont Route 100): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 0.8 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Colchester, VT 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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