Origin
New Haven, CT
Afternoon in New Haven on Friday
Local time
12:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Haven, CT to Darien, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
35.3 mi
57 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Haven, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Darien, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from New Haven, CT to Darien, CT covers 35.3 miles and takes about 50m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 95, Post Road, Spring Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 31.4 miles on I 95. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 35.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 50m highway drive covering 35.3 miles, with most of the trip on I 95 and Post Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 31.4 miles on I 95.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 95 is the longest continuous segment at about 31.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Post Road. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near College Street.
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 35.3 miles you will encounter 10 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 (College Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (Howard Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
College Street
Depart onto College Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Howard Avenue
Turn left onto Howard Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
2.6 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 South: New York City
Navigation decision point
Toward I 95 South: New York City
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
I 95
Merge onto I 95
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
34.2 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Post Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13
Toward US 1: Post Road
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 31.4 mi | 42m |
| Post Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Spring Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Washington Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| College Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Congress Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Howard Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Campbell Avenue | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 31.4 mi, about 42m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Haven, CT and Darien, CT.
1
Start on College Street
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
College Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn slight right onto Congress Avenue
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Congress Avenue
3
Turn left onto Howard Avenue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Howard Avenue
4
Turn right onto Washington Avenue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Washington Avenue
5
Turn right onto US 1
482 ft
·
15 sec
·
Columbus Avenue
6
Turn left onto Washington Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Avenue
7
Continue on Spring Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Spring Street
8
At end of road, turn left onto Campbell Avenue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Campbell Avenue
9
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 95 South: New York City
10
Merge onto I 95
31 mi
·
42 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 13
Toward US 1: Post Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn left onto US 1
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Post Road
13
Turn right
192 ft
·
14 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.7 mi from New Haven, CT · 25m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.7 miles from New Haven, CT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Darien, CT
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Darien, 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
$5.68 one way
$11.37 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.25 | $12.51 |
| premium | $4.86 | $6.76 | $13.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.79 | $15.59 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 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 | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.69 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $1.41 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.94 | $2.26 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Darien, CT
Afternoon in Darien on Friday
Local time
12:21 PM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Scattered Showers And Thunderstorms
N 8 mph
31% chance
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
34 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
50m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from New Haven, CT to Darien, CT covers 35.3 miles and takes about 50m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 95, Post Road, Spring 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 17.7 miles from New Haven, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.68 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 35.3 miles you will encounter 10 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 (College Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (Howard Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.6 miles: Navigation decision point.
The route from New Haven, CT to Darien, 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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