Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
57m
Distance
33.5 mi
54 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
West Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Bethel, CT
David Kanigan
The drive from West Haven, CT to Bethel, CT covers 33.5 miles and takes about 57m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CT 25, Hattertown Road, I 95 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 7.3 miles on CT 25. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.58 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 25 | 7.3 mi | 11m |
| Hattertown Road | 6.1 mi | 14m |
| I 95 | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Merritt Parkway | 5 mi | 5m |
| Dodgingtown Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Sawmill Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Greenwood Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 10 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,250 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~1,183 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
3.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 8 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between West Haven, CT and Bethel, CT.
Start on Washington Avenue
Turn left onto Main Street
Turn right onto CT 162
Continue on CT 162
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto CT 15
Continue on CT 15
Take the exit
Merge onto CT 25
Turn left onto CT 59
Turn right onto Hattertown Road
Turn straight onto CT 302
Continue on CT 302
Keep slight left at fork onto CT 302
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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.
A short stop after about 33.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 16.8 miles from West Haven, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.9 and 16.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CT 15: Merritt and Wilbur Cross Parkways
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward Wheelers Farms Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward CT 25 North: Danbury
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto CT 25
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.58 one way
$11.16 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $6.19 | $12.38 |
| premium | $5.07 | $6.68 | $13.36 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.38 | $14.77 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.52 | $1.61 |
| Efficient EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.93 | $1.34 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.69 | $2.14 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in West Haven on Saturday
Local time
8:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Sunny
Destination
Evening in Bethel on Saturday
Local time
8:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
33.5 mi in 57m — 55% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: CT 25.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.9 miles in near I 95.
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 12 decision points packed into just 33.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.9 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
777 ft
Total Descent
413 ft
Highest Point
644 ft
~28.7 mi in
Elevation Range
627 ft
Founded 1921
Top landmarks
Founded 1855
Bethel is a town of 19,000 people (2010) in the Litchfield Hills region of Connecticut.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 33.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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