Origin
East Haven, CT
Night in East Haven on Friday
Local time
9:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from East Haven, CT to Meriden, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
23.4 mi
38 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
East Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
East Haven, CT to Meriden, CT is 23.4 miles and takes about 31 minutes via I 91, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays within Connecticut, heading north from the Northeast region. It's a quick trip, largely focused on efficient highway travel, making it ideal for a short hop between these two cities. Expect minimal time on the road, perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route is primarily highway-focused, with 73% of the drive occurring on major roadways like I 91. You'll experience a consistent drive for the longest stretch of 16.6 miles on I 91, offering a straightforward, uninterrupted journey. While East Main Street and East Ferry Street offer brief transitions, the overall character is that of efficient travel. The drive is designed for speed and directness, minimizing local traffic and maximizing forward momentum.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 91 is the longest continuous segment at about 16.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 91 and East Main Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near Townsend Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 23.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles (Townsend Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (East Ferry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (I 91): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Townsend Avenue
Turn right onto Townsend Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
East Ferry Street
Turn left onto East Ferry Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 91
Merge onto I 91
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
20.6 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward East Main Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 16
Toward East Main Street
5
21.1 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward East Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward East Main Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 91 | 16.6 mi | 19m |
| East Main Street | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| East Ferry Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Frontage Road | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Saltonstall Parkway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Farren Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Forbes Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Hemingway Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 91
— 16.6 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between East Haven, CT and Meriden, CT.
1
Start on Hemingway Avenue
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Hemingway Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
2
Turn left onto US 1
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Saltonstall Parkway
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on US 1
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
·
Frontage Road
4
Continue on US 1
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Forbes Avenue
5
Turn right onto Townsend Avenue
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Townsend Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on Fairmont Avenue
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Fairmont Avenue
7
Turn right onto Farren Avenue
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Farren Avenue
8
Turn left onto East Ferry Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
East Ferry Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 91 North: Hartford
10
Merge onto I 91
17 mi
·
19 min
·
I 91
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 16
Toward East Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
199 ft
·
10 sec
Toward East Main Street
13
Turn left onto East Main Street
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
East Main Street
Use the left lane.
14
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.77 one way
$7.53 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.14 | $8.29 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 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 | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
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
Meriden, CT
Night in Meriden on Friday
Local time
9:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
31m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from East Haven, CT to Meriden, CT covers 23.4 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 91, East Main Street, East Ferry Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.7 miles from East Haven, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.77 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 23.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles (Townsend Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.6 miles (East Ferry Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 4 miles (I 91): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from East Haven, CT to Meriden, CT does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Weir Farm National Historical Park.
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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