Drive or Fly: West Haven, CT to South Windsor, CT?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for HVN–BDL. At 45 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Drive

Door to Door

1h 6m

Distance

45.9 mi

Total Cost

$45

CO2

19 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$10

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 28m

5m in the air

Air Distance

42 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

11 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

West Haven, CT → HVN 10m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 5m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BDL → South Windsor, CT 13m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

West Haven, CT HVN — Tweed New Haven Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

South Windsor, CT BDL — Bradley International Airport 9 mi, ~13m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between HVN and BDL. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Train

Amtrak

Door to Door

1h 53m

53m on rail

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Amtrak Hartford Line

Door-to-Door Timeline

West Haven, CT → New Haven 10m

Boarding 30m

Train ride 53m

Arrival 10m

Windsor → South Windsor, CT 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $8) $8

Estimated based on distance. Check amtrak.com for current prices.

Stations

From New Haven 2 mi, ~10m drive

To Windsor 2 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~25/week

+ Spacious seating with legroom and power outlets

+ Walk around freely during the trip

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Amtrak delays can be unpredictable

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

1h 28m

43m on road

Total Cost

CO2

2 kg

Route

Greyhound US0240

Door-to-Door Timeline

West Haven, CT → New Haven Bus Stop (NHV6) 10m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 43m

Arrival 10m

Hartford (Union Station) (HAR6) → South Windsor, CT 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $4) $4

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From NHV6 — New Haven Bus Stop 2 mi, ~10m drive

To HAR6 — Hartford (Union Station) 5 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~21/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Train	Bus
Door-to-door time	1h 6m	2h 28m	1h 53m	1h 28m
Total cost (1 person)	$45	$122	$8	$4
Carbon footprint	19 kg CO₂	11 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂	2 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: Amtrak GTFS, FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 13, 2026.

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from West Haven, CT to South Windsor, CT with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.