Origin
Canton, CT
Afternoon in Canton on Saturday
Local time
1:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Canton, CT to Shelton, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 4m
Distance
50.3 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 59m
★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 1m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Canton, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Shelton, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Canton, CT to Shelton, CT covers 50.3 miles and takes about 1h 4m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CT 8, US 202, Albany Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 36 miles on CT 8. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.10 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 8 | 36 mi | 43m |
| US 202 | 11.1 mi | 13m |
| Albany Turnpike | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Elizabeth Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Bridge Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Seymour Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Olivia Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Howe Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 8
— 36 mi, about 43m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Canton, CT and Shelton, CT.
1
Start on US 44; US 202
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Albany Turnpike
2
Keep slight left at fork onto US 202
11 mi
·
13 min
·
US 202
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward CT 8 South: Waterbury
4
Merge onto CT 8
36 mi
·
43 min
·
CT 8
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 13
Toward Seymour Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Turn slight right onto Seymour Avenue
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Seymour Avenue
7
Turn slight right onto Elizabeth Street
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Elizabeth Street
8
Turn right onto Thompson Place
262 ft
·
16 sec
·
Thompson Place
9
Turn left onto Olivia Street
325 ft
·
13 sec
·
Olivia Street
10
Continue on Bridge Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Bridge Street
11
Turn left onto CT 110
283 ft
·
9 sec
·
Howe Avenue
12
Turn right onto CT 108
181 ft
·
9 sec
·
Center Street
13
Turn left
62 ft
·
4 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.1 miles from Canton, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 1.7 and 50.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
1.7 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
US 202
Keep slight left at fork onto US 202
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
13 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
CT 8
Merge onto CT 8
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
49 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward Seymour Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13
Toward Seymour Avenue
5
49.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
Olivia Street
Turn left onto Olivia Street
Navigation decision point
5
50.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 4m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.10 one way
$16.20 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $8.91 | $17.82 |
| premium | $4.86 | $9.63 | $19.26 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.11 | $22.21 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.12
Albany Turnpike
(1.7 mi)
$0.12
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$0
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.28 | $2.41 |
| Efficient EV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.40 | $2.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.1 | 0 | $7.04 | $3.22 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Shelton, CT
Afternoon in Shelton on Saturday
Local time
1:36 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
41°F
Plymouth, CT
25 mi in
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
17 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
1h 4m 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?
50.3 mi in 1h 4m, mostly highway — 36 mi of that is on CT 8.
97% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
14 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 36 mi on CT 8.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 8 and US 202. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.7 miles in near US 202.
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 1h 4m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.7 miles (US 202): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13 miles (CT 8): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 49 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 4m. Total distance: 50.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (97%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 36 miles on CT 8. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.12 in tolls one way, starting with Albany Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 1.7 miles (US 202): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13 miles (CT 8): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 49 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Shelton, CT before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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