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Trip from New London, CT to Manchester, CT

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 4m

Distance

43 mi

69 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
1h 0m ★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 15m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown New London, CT, CT

New London, CT

MART PRODUCTION

Downtown Manchester, CT, CT

Manchester, CT

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from New London, CT to Manchester, CT covers 43 miles and takes about 1h 4m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on CT 2, CT 11, Manchester Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.3 miles on CT 2. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.92 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
CT 2 14.3 mi 16m
CT 11 7.7 mi 9m
Manchester Road 4.8 mi 9m
Hartford Turnpike 4.4 mi 8m
Hartford-New London Turnpike 3.1 mi 5m
New London Road 2.8 mi 4m
South Main Street 2.5 mi 5m
Broad Street 2 mi 3m
Longest stretch: CT 2 — 14.3 mi, about 16m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between New London, CT and Manchester, CT.

1

Start on Huntington Street

52 ft · 9 sec · Huntington Street
2

Turn left onto Broad Street

2.0 mi · 3 min · Broad Street
3

Continue on CT 85

4.4 mi · 8 min · Hartford Turnpike
4

Continue on CT 85

3.1 mi · 5 min · Hartford-New London Turnpike
5

Continue on CT 85

2.8 mi · 4 min · New London Road
6

Enter roundabout onto CT 82

169 ft · 1 sec · East Haddam Road
7

Continue on CT 82

1.0 mi · 1 min · East Haddam Road
8

Take the exit onto CT 11

7.7 mi · 9 min · CT 11
Toward CT 11 North: Colchester, Hartford
9

Merge onto CT 2

14 mi · 16 min · CT 2
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Exit 10 Toward CT 83: East Glastonbury, Manchester Use the slight right lane.
11

Turn right onto CT 83

4.8 mi · 9 min · Manchester Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
12

Continue on CT 83

2.5 mi · 5 min · South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
13

Turn right onto US 6; US 44

300 ft · 10 sec · East Center Street
Use the right lane.
14

Continue on US 6; US 44

336 ft · 12 sec · East Center Street
15

Arrive at destination

US 6; US 44

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

town in Connecticut, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Hebron, CT

22 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

Vernon, CT

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 43 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Colchester, CT

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.5 miles from New London, CT, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 13.3 and 42.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
13.3 mi into trip | ~22m in | CT 11

Take the exit onto CT 11 toward CT 11 North: Colchester, Hartford

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward CT 11 North: Colchester, Hartford
5
21 mi into trip | ~32m in | CT 2

Merge onto CT 2

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
35.3 mi into trip | ~48m in

Take the exit toward CT 83: East Glastonbury, Manchester

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 10 Toward CT 83: East Glastonbury, Manchester
5
35.5 mi into trip | ~49m in | CT 83 / Manchester Road

Turn right onto CT 83 / Manchester Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
5
42.9 mi into trip | ~1h 4m in | US 6; US 44 / East Center Street

Turn right onto US 6; US 44 / East Center Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.92 one way

$13.84 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $7.62 $15.23
premium $4.86 $8.23 $16.47
diesel $5.61 $9.49 $18.99

Estimated Tolls: $0.53

Hartford Turnpike (4.4 mi) $0.31
Hartford-New London Turnpike (3.1 mi) $0.22

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$1

Total

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.9 0 $4.52 $2.06
Efficient EV 10.8 0 $3.76 $1.72
EV Truck/SUV 17.2 0 $6.02 $2.75

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

New London, CT

Afternoon in New London on Saturday

Local time

2:50 PM

EDT

Current temp

55°F

Slight Chance Rain Showers

SW 2 to 7 mph 23% chance Live forecast

Destination

Manchester, CT

Afternoon in Manchester on Saturday

Local time

2:50 PM

EDT

Current temp

83°F

Partly Sunny

SW 10 mph 9% chance Live forecast

12°F

Hebron, CT

22 mi in

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

28 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

1h 4m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

43 mi in 1h 4m, mostly highway — 14.3 mi of that is on CT 2.

69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.3 mi on CT 2.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 2 and CT 11. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 13.3 miles in near CT 11.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 4m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 13.3 miles (CT 11): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21 miles (CT 2): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 New London, CT to Manchester, CT, road signs begin pointing toward Hartford along the way.

Hartford

13.3 mi in | ~22m | via CT 11

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 4m. Total distance: 43 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (69%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 14.3 miles on CT 2. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.53 in tolls one way, starting with Hartford Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 13.3 miles (CT 11): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21 miles (CT 2): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 35.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Manchester, CT before heading back.

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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Explore More

Return Trip

Manchester, CT to New London, CT

Plan the drive back the other way.

43.1 mi 1h 5m

Explore more options from New London, CT or browse trips ending in Manchester, CT.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse CT road trips.