Origin
Essex, CT
Night in Essex on Friday
Local time
9:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Essex, CT to New Haven, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
31.9 mi
51 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 40m
★
6 AM
0h 44m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 46m
3 PM
0h 47m
5 PM
0h 51m
8 PM
0h 42m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Essex, CT
Wikimedia Commons
New Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Essex, CT to New Haven, CT covers 31.9 miles and takes about 44m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 95, Essex Road, Forbes Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.7 miles on I 95. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.14 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 31.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 44m highway drive covering 31.9 miles, with most of the trip on I 95 and Essex Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 22.7 miles on I 95.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 95 is the longest continuous segment at about 22.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Essex Road. You will hit about 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 31.9 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 5.6 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Avenue
Enter roundabout onto West Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
5.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
28.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Frontage Road, Lighthouse Point
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 51
Toward US 1: Frontage Road, Lighthouse Point
4
31.1 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
Olive Street
Turn right onto Olive Street
Navigation decision point
4
31.8 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
College Street
Turn right onto College Street
Navigation decision point
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 Essex, CT to New Haven, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Lighthouse Point along the way.
Lighthouse Point
28.4 mi in
|
~37m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 22.7 mi | 27m |
| Essex Road | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Forbes Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Westbrook Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Plains Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Water Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Chapel Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 22.7 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Essex, CT and New Haven, CT.
1
Start on Pratt Street
101 ft
·
6 sec
·
Pratt Street
2
Enter roundabout onto West Avenue
27 ft
·
0 sec
·
West Avenue
3
Continue on West Avenue
96 ft
·
2 sec
·
West Avenue
4
Turn slight right onto Methodist Hill
383 ft
·
10 sec
·
Methodist Hill
5
Continue on Prospect Street
353 ft
·
9 sec
·
Prospect Street
6
Continue on West Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Avenue
7
Continue on CT 153
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Plains Road
8
Continue on CT 153
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Westbrook Road
9
Continue on CT 153
2.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Essex Road
10
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 95 South
11
Merge onto I 95
23 mi
·
27 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 51
Toward US 1: Frontage Road, Lighthouse Point
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto US 1
0.4 mi
·
29 sec
·
Frontage Road
14
Continue on US 1
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Forbes Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Continue on US 1
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Water Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Turn right onto Olive Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Olive Street
17
Turn left onto Chapel Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Chapel Street
18
Turn right onto College Street
343 ft
·
5 sec
·
College Street
19
Arrive at destination
College Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.14 one way
$10.27 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $5.65 | $11.30 |
| premium | $4.86 | $6.11 | $12.22 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.04 | $14.09 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
New Haven, CT
Night in New Haven on Friday
Local time
9:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m 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 Essex, CT to New Haven, CT covers 31.9 miles and takes about 44m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 95, Essex Road, Forbes Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.9 miles from Essex, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.14 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 31.9 miles you will encounter 8 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 5.6 miles (I 95): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Essex, CT to New Haven, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Lighthouse Point along the way.
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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