Origin
North Branford, CT
Night in North Branford on Friday
Local time
9:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Branford, CT to Shelton, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
20.3 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Branford, CT
David Kanigan
Shelton, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from North Branford, CT to Shelton, CT covers 20.3 miles and takes about 34m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Foxon Road, Wilbur Cross Parkway, Whalley Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.5 miles on Foxon Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.27 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 20.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 34m drive with frequent turns across 20.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Foxon Road is the longest continuous segment at about 5.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near CT 80 / Foxon Road.
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 20 decision points packed into just 20.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CT 80 / Foxon Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.4 miles (US 5 / State Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
CT 80 / Foxon Road
At end of road, turn left onto CT 80 / Foxon Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
7.4 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
US 5 / State Street
Turn left onto US 5 / State Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
8.3 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward Trumbull Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 3
Toward Trumbull Street
6
12.6 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the ramp toward CT 15 South: New York City
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward CT 15 South: New York City
7
16.3 mi into trip
|
~26m 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
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Foxon Road | 5.5 mi | 8m |
| Wilbur Cross Parkway | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Whalley Avenue | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| New Haven Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Derby Turnpike | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Middletown Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Foxon Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| I 91 | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Foxon Road
— 5.5 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Branford, CT and Shelton, CT.
1
Start on this road
102 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn left onto CT 80
5.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Foxon Road
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on CT 80
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Foxon Boulevard
4
Continue on CT 80
490 ft
·
8 sec
·
Middletown Avenue
5
Continue on CT 17; CT 80
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Middletown Avenue
6
Turn right onto Ferry Street
403 ft
·
14 sec
·
Ferry Street
7
Turn left onto US 5
362 ft
·
8 sec
·
State Street
Use the left lane.
8
Turn right onto Warren Place
60 ft
·
2 sec
·
Warren Place
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 91 South
10
Merge onto I 91
0.6 mi
·
53 sec
·
I 91
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 3
Toward Trumbull Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto Trumbull Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Trumbull Street
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn left onto Temple Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Temple Street
14
Turn right onto Grove Street
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Grove Street
15
Continue on Tower Parkway
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Tower Parkway
16
Turn slight right onto Whalley Avenue
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Whalley Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Continue on CT 63
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Amity Road
Use the straight lane.
18
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward CT 15 South: New York City
19
Merge onto CT 15
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Wilbur Cross Parkway
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 42B
Toward CT 34 West: Derby
Use the slight right lane.
21
Turn right onto CT 34
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Derby Turnpike
22
Continue on CT 34
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
New Haven Avenue
23
Continue on CT 34
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Derby Avenue
Use the straight lane.
24
Turn left onto CT 34
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
25
Turn left onto Bridge Street
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Bridge Street
26
Turn left onto CT 110
283 ft
·
9 sec
·
Howe Avenue
27
Turn right onto CT 108
181 ft
·
9 sec
·
Center Street
28
Turn left
62 ft
·
4 sec
29
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.27 one way
$6.54 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.60 | $7.19 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.89 | $7.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
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
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.84 | $1.30 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Shelton, CT
Night in Shelton on Friday
Local time
9:11 PM
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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
34m 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 North Branford, CT to Shelton, CT covers 20.3 miles and takes about 34m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Foxon Road, Wilbur Cross Parkway, Whalley Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.2 miles from North Branford, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.27 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 20 decision points packed into just 20.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (CT 80 / Foxon Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.4 miles (US 5 / State Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from North Branford, CT to Shelton, 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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