Origin
Hartford, CT
Late night in Hartford on Friday
Local time
3:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hartford, CT to Bristol, CT
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
25m
Distance
18.6 mi
30 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hartford, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Bristol, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Hartford, CT to Bristol, CT covers 18.6 miles and takes about 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 84, CT 72, Riverside Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.8 miles on I 84. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.99 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 18.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 25m highway drive covering 18.6 miles, with most of the trip on I 84 and CT 72. The longest continuous stretch is about 11.8 miles on I 84.
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.
I 84 is the longest continuous segment at about 11.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 84 and CT 72. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
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 8 decision points packed into just 18.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (I 84; US 6): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles (CT 72): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 8 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward I 84 West: Waterbury
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 84 West: Waterbury
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
I 84; US 6
Merge onto I 84; US 6
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
12.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
CT 72
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 72
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 33
6
18.2 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
CT 72 / School Street
Turn right onto CT 72 / School Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
18.6 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
CT 69 / West Street
Turn left onto CT 69 / West Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 84 | 11.8 mi | 14m |
| CT 72 | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| Riverside Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| School Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Capitol Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Armory Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| West Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 84
— 11.8 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hartford, CT and Bristol, CT.
1
Start on Armory Road
111 ft
·
14 sec
·
Armory Road
2
Turn left onto Capitol Avenue
330 ft
·
10 sec
·
Capitol Avenue
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward I 84 West: Waterbury
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto I 84; US 6
12 mi
·
14 min
·
I 84; US 6
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto CT 72
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
CT 72
Exit 33
Use the slight right lane.
6
Take the exit onto CT 72
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverside Avenue
Use the straight / slight right / right lanes.
7
Turn left onto CT 72
276 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
8
Turn right onto CT 72
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
School Street
Use the right lane.
9
Turn left onto CT 69
71 ft
·
1 sec
·
West Street
Use the left lane.
10
Arrive at destination
CT 69
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.99 one way
$5.99 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.29 | $6.59 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.56 | $7.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.11 | $8.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Bristol, CT
Late night in Bristol on Friday
Local time
3:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
33°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
33 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
25m 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 Bristol, CT covers 18.6 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 84, CT 72, Riverside 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 9.3 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 $2.99 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 8 decision points packed into just 18.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (I 84; US 6): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.4 miles (CT 72): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Hartford, CT to Bristol, CT does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Data sources
The figures on this page are computed from open government and mapping datasets, not crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Full methodology, refresh cadence, and limitations are documented on the methodology page.
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