Origin
Hartford, CT
Afternoon in Hartford on Friday
Local time
4:24 PM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hartford, CT to Meriden, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
26m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 31m
10 AM
0h 28m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hartford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 17.8-mile drive from Hartford to Meriden, Connecticut, is a quick journey that can easily be completed in about 26 minutes. Primarily utilizing roads like the Berlin Turnpike and North Broad Street, this route is heavily focused on highway driving, with 62% of it being on highways. Given its short distance and duration, it's perfect as a single-day trip with no need for an overnight stay. Your estimated fuel cost for this short hop is around $3, making it a very budget-friendly option for a quick transit between two points within the Northeast region. This route offers a practical, no-fuss way to get from point A to point B.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 26m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (62%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 17.8-mile trip. With 62% of the drive on highways, you'll encounter relatively fast-paced travel for extended periods. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is approximately 11 miles along the Berlin Turnpike, offering a consistent pace. While the majority is highway, the route transitions through local roads like North Broad Street and Broad Street, providing a slight change in scenery and speed as you near your destination. This drive is less about scenic vistas and more about efficient transit.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Berlin Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 11 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Berlin Turnpike and North Broad Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Capitol Avenue.
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 26m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Capitol Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles (Maple Avenue): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 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
|
Capitol Avenue
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Broad Street
Turn left onto Broad Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
3
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Maple Avenue
Turn right onto Maple Avenue
Navigation decision point
3
16.9 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Liberty Street
Turn right onto Liberty Street
Navigation decision point
3
17.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
East Main Street
Turn straight onto East Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin Turnpike | 11 mi | 14m |
| North Broad Street | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Broad Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Maple Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Main Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Armory Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Berlin Turnpike
— 11 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hartford, CT and Meriden, CT.
1
Start on Armory Road
111 ft
·
15 sec
·
Armory Road
2
Turn right onto Capitol Avenue
382 ft
·
16 sec
·
Capitol Avenue
3
Turn left onto Broad Street
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Broad Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Maple Avenue
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Maple Avenue
5
Continue on Berlin Turnpike
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Berlin Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on US 5; CT 15
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
North Broad Street
7
Continue on US 5
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
North Broad Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
Turn right onto Liberty Street
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Liberty Street
9
Turn straight onto East Main Street
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
East Main Street
Use the straight lane.
10
Arrive at destination
West Main Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.87 one way
$5.73 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.15 | $6.31 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.41 | $6.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.77
Berlin Turnpike
(11 mi)
$0.77
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Meriden, CT
Afternoon in Meriden on Friday
Local time
4:24 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
24 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
26m 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 Hartford, CT to Meriden, CT covers 17.8 miles and takes about 26m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Berlin Turnpike, North Broad Street, Broad 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 8.9 miles from Hartford, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.87 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 straightforward 26m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Capitol Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Broad Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles (Maple Avenue): Navigation decision point.
The route from Hartford, CT to Meriden, CT does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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