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Trip from Hamden, CT to Derby, CT

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

19m

Distance

13.5 mi

22 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 18m ★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States

Hamden, CT

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Derby, CT, CT

Derby, CT

cottonbro studio

Trip Overview

The drive from Hamden, CT to Derby, CT covers 13.5 miles and takes about 19m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Wilbur Cross Parkway, New Haven Avenue, Whitney Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.4 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.17 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 13.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

19m 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 19m highway drive covering 13.5 miles, with most of the trip on Wilbur Cross Parkway and New Haven Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 8.4 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Wilbur Cross Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 8.4 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Wilbur Cross Parkway and New Haven Avenue. 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 CT 10 / Whitney Avenue.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 13.5 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 (CT 10 / Whitney Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | CT 10 / Whitney Avenue

Depart onto CT 10 / Whitney Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
1.4 mi into trip | ~2m in | CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway

Merge onto CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
7
9.8 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward CT 34 West: Derby

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 42B Toward CT 34 West: Derby
5
13 mi into trip | ~18m in | CT 34 / Main Street

Turn left onto CT 34 / Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
4
13.4 mi into trip | ~19m in | Third Street

Turn left onto Third Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Wilbur Cross Parkway 8.4 mi 10m
New Haven Avenue 1.6 mi 2m
Whitney Avenue 1.2 mi 1m
Derby Turnpike 1.2 mi 1m
Main Street 0.4 mi <1m
Derby Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Minerva Street <0.1 mi <1m
Third Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Wilbur Cross Parkway — 8.4 mi, about 10m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Hamden, CT and Derby, CT.

1

Start on CT 10

1.2 mi · 1 min · Whitney Avenue
Use the straight lane.
2

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 26 sec
3

Merge onto CT 15

8.4 mi · 10 min · Wilbur Cross Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
4

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Exit 42B Toward CT 34 West: Derby Use the slight right lane.
5

Turn right onto CT 34

1.2 mi · 1 min · Derby Turnpike
6

Continue on CT 34

1.6 mi · 2 min · New Haven Avenue
7

Continue on CT 34

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Derby Avenue
Use the straight lane.
8

Turn left onto CT 34

0.4 mi · 57 sec · Main Street
Use the left lane.
9

Turn right onto Minerva Street

382 ft · 18 sec · Minerva Street
10

Turn left onto Third Street

197 ft · 10 sec · Third Street
11

Turn right

35 ft · 2 sec
12

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.17 one way

$4.35 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $2.39 $4.78
premium $4.86 $2.59 $5.17
diesel $5.61 $2.98 $5.96

Estimated Tolls: $0.08

Derby Turnpike (1.2 mi) $0.08

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Tolls

$0

Total

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.1 0 $1.42 $0.65
Efficient EV 3.4 0 $1.18 $0.54
EV Truck/SUV 5.4 0 $1.89 $0.86

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Hamden, CT

Night in Hamden on Friday

Local time

10:12 PM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Derby, CT

Night in Derby on Friday

Local time

10:12 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

11 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

19m 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 Hamden, CT to Derby, CT covers 13.5 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Wilbur Cross Parkway, New Haven Avenue, Whitney 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 6.7 miles from Hamden, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.17 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 13.5 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 (CT 10 / Whitney Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.4 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Hamden, CT to Derby, 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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