Origin
Middletown, CT
Morning in Middletown on Friday
Local time
6:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Middletown, CT to Groton, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
41.7 mi
67 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Middletown, CT
David Kanigan
Groton, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Middletown, CT to Groton, CT covers 41.7 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CT 9, I 95, Mitchell Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 23.3 miles on CT 9. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.71 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 41.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 53m highway drive covering 41.7 miles, with most of the trip on CT 9 and I 95. The longest continuous stretch is about 23.3 miles on CT 9.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CT 9 is the longest continuous segment at about 23.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 9 and I 95. 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 9 decision points packed into just 41.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.2 miles (CT 9; CT 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 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 CT 9 South, CT 17 South: Old Saybrook, New Haven
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward CT 9 South, CT 17 South: Old Saybrook, N...
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CT 9; CT 17
Merge onto CT 9; CT 17
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
23.5 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North, US 1 North: New London, Providence
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North, US 1 North: New London, Prov...
6
40.3 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
US 1
Take the exit onto US 1 toward US 1 North: Thames Street, Downtown Groton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 85
Toward US 1 North: Thames Street, Downtown Grot...
6
41.7 mi into trip
|
~53m in
|
Smith Street
Turn sharp right onto Smith Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
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 Middletown, CT to Groton, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Providence along the way.
Providence
23.5 mi in
|
~28m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 9 | 23.3 mi | 27m |
| I 95 | 16.2 mi | 20m |
| Mitchell Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| North Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Washington Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| US 1 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Ledyard Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Smith Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 9
— 23.3 mi, about 27m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Middletown, CT and Groton, CT.
1
Start on Washington Street
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Washington Street
2
Take the ramp
132 ft
·
3 sec
Toward CT 9 South, CT 17 South: Old Saybrook, New Haven
3
Merge onto CT 9; CT 17
23 mi
·
27 min
·
CT 9; CT 17
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North, US 1 North: New London, Providence
5
Merge onto I 95; US 1
16 mi
·
20 min
·
I 95; US 1
6
Take the exit onto US 1
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
US 1
Exit 85
Toward US 1 North: Thames Street, Downtown Groton
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
8
Keep slight left at fork
226 ft
·
9 sec
9
Continue on North Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
North Street
10
Continue on Mitchell Street
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Mitchell Street
11
Turn right onto Ledyard Avenue
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
Ledyard Avenue
12
Turn sharp right onto Smith Street
27 ft
·
1 sec
·
Smith Street
13
Arrive at destination
Smith Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 20.8 mi from Middletown, CT · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 41.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.8 miles from Middletown, CT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Groton, CT
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Groton, CT if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.71 one way
$13.43 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $7.39 | $14.77 |
| premium | $4.86 | $7.99 | $15.97 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.21 | $18.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.38 | $2.00 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.84 | $2.67 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Groton, CT
Morning in Groton on Friday
Local time
6:20 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
53m 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 Middletown, CT to Groton, CT covers 41.7 miles and takes about 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are CT 9, I 95, Mitchell 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 20.8 miles from Middletown, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.71 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 9 decision points packed into just 41.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.2 miles (CT 9; CT 17): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Middletown, CT to Groton, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Providence along the way.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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