Origin
Meriden, CT
Morning in Meriden on Saturday
Local time
7:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Meriden, 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
36m
Distance
25.5 mi
41 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 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Meriden, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Derby, CT
cottonbro studio
Trip Overview
The drive from Meriden, CT to Derby, CT covers 25.5 miles and takes about 36m 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, South Broad Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.11 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 25.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 36m highway drive covering 25.5 miles, with most of the trip on Wilbur Cross Parkway and New Haven Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 18 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 17 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 18 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 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in near Hall 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 25.5 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 1.1 miles (Hall Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (US 5 / South Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.9 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Hall Avenue
Turn left onto Hall Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
1.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 5 / South Broad Street
Turn right onto US 5 / South Broad Street
Navigation decision point
5
3.9 mi into trip
|
~7m 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 / slight right lanes.
7
21.8 mi into trip
|
~29m 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
25 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
CT 34 / Main Street
Turn left onto CT 34 / Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilbur Cross Parkway | 18 mi | 21m |
| New Haven Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| South Broad Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Derby Turnpike | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Cook Avenue | 1 mi | 2m |
| North Colony Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Hall Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Wilbur Cross Parkway
— 18 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Meriden, CT and Derby, CT.
1
Start on West Main Street
119 ft
·
9 sec
·
West Main Street
2
Turn left onto CT 71
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cook Avenue
3
Continue on CT 71
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Old Colony Road
4
Turn left onto Hall Avenue
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Hall Avenue
5
Turn right onto US 5
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
South Broad Street
6
Continue on US 5
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Colony Road
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward CT 15 South: New Haven
8
Merge onto CT 15
18 mi
·
21 min
·
Wilbur Cross Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 42B
Toward CT 34 West: Derby
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto CT 34
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Derby Turnpike
11
Continue on CT 34
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
New Haven Avenue
12
Continue on CT 34
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Derby Avenue
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn left onto CT 34
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto Minerva Street
382 ft
·
18 sec
·
Minerva Street
15
Turn left onto Third Street
197 ft
·
10 sec
·
Third Street
16
Turn right
35 ft
·
2 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.11 one way
$8.21 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.52 | $9.03 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.88 | $9.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.63 | $11.26 |
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
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.68 | $1.22 |
| Efficient EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.23 | $1.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Derby, CT
Morning in Derby on Saturday
Local time
7:15 AM
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
36m 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 Meriden, CT to Derby, CT covers 25.5 miles and takes about 36m 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, South 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 12.7 miles from Meriden, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.11 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 25.5 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 1.1 miles (Hall Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.7 miles (US 5 / South Broad Street): Navigation decision point; at 3.9 miles (CT 15 / Wilbur Cross Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Meriden, 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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