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Trip from New Preston, CT to Danbury, CT

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

30m

Distance

23.4 mi

38 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 8 min
4 AM
0h 28m ★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m

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

census designated place in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States

New Preston, CT

Wikimedia Commons

city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States

Danbury, CT

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are planning a quick excursion through Connecticut, this 23.4-mile trip from New Preston to Danbury is a straightforward option. You can comfortably complete the journey in about 30 minutes, making it an ideal choice for a one-day outing. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, it is a highly economical route for your schedule. You will navigate primarily via Litchfield Road, Danbury Road, and Federal Road, staying entirely within the Northeast region. Because the duration is so short, there is no need to plan for overnight stops or extensive travel logistics. It serves as a practical, no-fuss connection between these two locations.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (7%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous highway cruise on this trek. Only 7% of your travel occurs on highways, keeping you focused on winding local roads for the majority of the 23.4-mile journey. You will find your longest uninterrupted stretch on Federal Road, which covers 8.8 miles of the transit. The personality of the road remains consistent, favoring local navigation over high-speed interstate travel. You should stay alert behind the wheel, as the route requires constant attention to turns rather than long-distance highway driving.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Federal Road is the longest continuous segment at about 8.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Baldwin Hill Road.

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 30m 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: near the start (Baldwin Hill Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.1 miles (US 202 / New Milford Turnpike): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (US 7; US 202 / Danbury Road): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 7 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Baldwin Hill Road

Turn sharp right onto Baldwin Hill Road

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 202 / New Milford Turnpike

At end of road, turn left onto US 202 / New Milford Turnpike

Navigation decision point

4
8.4 mi into trip | ~10m in | US 7; US 202 / Danbury Road

Turn left onto US 7; US 202 / Danbury Road

Navigation decision point

8
22.3 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward CT 39, CT 53: Downtown Danbury, Bethel

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 5 Toward CT 39, CT 53: Downtown Danbury, Bethel
4
22.4 mi into trip | ~28m in | CT 39 / North Main Street

Turn right onto CT 39 / North Main Street

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Federal Road 8.8 mi 11m
Danbury Road 5.2 mi 6m
Litchfield Road 3.5 mi 4m
New Milford Turnpike 1.7 mi 1m
Park Lane Road 1.6 mi 1m
North Main Street 0.9 mi 1m
Poplar Street 0.7 mi <1m
Bridge Street 0.5 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Federal Road — 8.8 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between New Preston, CT and Danbury, CT.

1

Start on Christian Street

113 ft · 14 sec · Christian Street
2

Turn sharp right onto Baldwin Hill Road

520 ft · 20 sec · Baldwin Hill Road
3

At end of road, turn left onto US 202

1.7 mi · 1 min · New Milford Turnpike
4

Continue on US 202

3.5 mi · 4 min · Litchfield Road
5

Continue on US 202

1.6 mi · 1 min · Park Lane Road
6

Continue on US 202

0.7 mi · 46 sec · Poplar Street
7

Continue on US 202

0.3 mi · 24 sec · East Street
8

Turn right onto US 202; CT 67

0.5 mi · 46 sec · Bridge Street
9

Turn left onto US 7; US 202

5.2 mi · 6 min · Danbury Road
10

Continue on US 7; US 202

8.8 mi · 11 min · Federal Road
11

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Exit 5 Toward CT 39, CT 53: Downtown Danbury, Bethel Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn right onto CT 39

0.9 mi · 1 min · North Main Street
13

Turn right onto Library Place

234 ft · 10 sec · Library Place
14

Arrive at destination

Library Place

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.77 one way

$7.53 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $4.14 $8.29
premium $4.86 $4.48 $8.96
diesel $5.61 $5.17 $10.33

Estimated Tolls: $0.12

New Milford Turnpike (1.7 mi) $0.12

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: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 7 0 $2.46 $1.12
Efficient EV 5.9 0 $2.05 $0.94
EV Truck/SUV 9.4 0 $3.28 $1.50

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 15, 2026

Origin

New Preston, CT

Morning in New Preston on Friday

Local time

7:56 AM

EDT

Current temp

41°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Danbury, CT

Morning in Danbury on Friday

Local time

7:56 AM

EDT

Current temp

41°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

30m 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 New Preston, CT to Danbury, CT covers 23.4 miles and takes about 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Federal Road, Danbury Road, Litchfield Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 11.7 miles from New Preston, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.77 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 straightforward 30m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Baldwin Hill Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.1 miles (US 202 / New Milford Turnpike): Navigation decision point; at 8.4 miles (US 7; US 202 / Danbury Road): Navigation decision point.

The route from New Preston, CT to Danbury, 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 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. National park proximity is from the NPS API. 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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