Origin
North Stamford, CT
Afternoon in North Stamford on Saturday
Local time
4:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Stamford, CT to Quinebaug, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 37m
Distance
118.4 mi
191 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$19
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 27m
★
6 AM
2h 38m
8 AM
2h 59m
10 AM
2h 45m
12 PM
2h 43m
3 PM
2h 46m
5 PM
2h 58m
8 PM
2h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Stamford, CT
David Kanigan
Quinebaug, CT
MART PRODUCTION
Trip Overview
The drive from North Stamford, CT to Quinebaug, CT covers 118.4 miles and takes about 2h 37m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Wilbur Cross Parkway, I 84, Merritt Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 30.4 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $19.06 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
59.2 miles from North Stamford, CT
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 17m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Wilbur Cross Parkway | 30.4 mi | 37m |
| I 84 | 28.3 mi | 32m |
| Merritt Parkway | 26.7 mi | 35m |
| Berlin Turnpike | 15.7 mi | 20m |
| Old Turnpike Road | 9.8 mi | 17m |
| Bigelow Hollow Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Buckley Highway | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| High Ridge Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Wilbur Cross Parkway
— 30.4 mi, about 37m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Stamford, CT and Quinebaug, CT.
1
Start on Cascade Road
139 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cascade Road
2
Turn straight onto North Stamford Road
475 ft
·
18 sec
·
North Stamford Road
3
Continue on North Stamford Road
0.2 mi
·
50 sec
·
North Stamford Road
4
Turn left onto CT 137
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
High Ridge Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
6
Merge onto CT 15
27 mi
·
35 min
·
Merritt Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on CT 15
30 mi
·
37 min
·
Wilbur Cross Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on US 5; CT 15
16 mi
·
20 min
·
Berlin Turnpike
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 84; US 6
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
I 84; US 6
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84; US 6
27 mi
·
30 min
·
I 84; US 6
Toward I 84 East: Boston
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 73
Toward CT 190: Union
12
Turn right onto CT 190
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Buckley Highway
13
Turn right onto CT 171
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Bigelow Hollow Road
14
Keep slight left at fork onto CT 197
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Lawson Road
15
Continue on CT 197
9.8 mi
·
17 min
·
Old Turnpike Road
16
Turn right onto CT 131
140 ft
·
2 sec
·
Quinebaug Road
17
Arrive at destination
CT 131
Trip Plan
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 59.2 miles from North Stamford, CT, or about 1h 17m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 30.4 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 26 miles or 36m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 59.2 miles or 1h 17m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 3m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Quinebaug, CT than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving North Stamford, CT so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from North Stamford, CT
This is one driving day of about 118.4 miles and 2h 37m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 26 miles from North Stamford, CT.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Wilbur Cross Parkway for about 30.4 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
59 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 26 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 59.2 miles from North Stamford, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 107.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
North Stamford Road
Continue onto North Stamford Road
Navigation decision point
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
CT 15 / Merritt Parkway
Merge onto CT 15 / Merritt Parkway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
76.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 40m in
|
I 84; US 6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 84; US 6 toward I 84 East: Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 84 East: Boston
5
103.3 mi into trip
|
~2h 11m in
Take the exit toward CT 190: Union
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 73
Toward CT 190: Union
4
107.7 mi into trip
|
~2h 18m in
|
CT 197 / Lawson Road
Keep slight left at fork onto CT 197 / Lawson Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$19.06 one way
$38.12 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
41 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $20.97 | $41.94 |
| premium | $4.86 | $22.67 | $45.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $26.14 | $52.28 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.78
Berlin Turnpike
(15.7 mi)
$1.10
Old Turnpike Road
(9.8 mi)
$0.68
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$19
Tolls
$2
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$46–$71
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 41.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $12 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 35.5 | 0 | $12.43 | $5.68 |
| Efficient EV | 29.6 | 0 | $10.36 | $4.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 47.4 | 0 | $16.58 | $7.58 |
Gas CO2
41 kg
EV CO2
14 kg (66% 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
Quinebaug, CT
Afternoon in Quinebaug on Saturday
Local time
4:40 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
20 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
2h 37m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Weir Farm National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Visit the home and studio of America's most beloved Impressionist, J. Alden Weir, and walk in the footsteps of generations of world-class artists. Set amidst more than 60 acres of painterly woods, fie...
8 mi from route
~20 min detour
Free
near mile 12.2
View on nps.gov
New England National Scenic Trail
National Scenic Trail
From the Sound to the summits: the New England Trail covers 235 miles from Long Island Sound across long ridges to scenic mountain summits in Connecticut and Massachusetts. The trail offers panoramic...
28 mi from route
~71 min detour
Free
near mile 106.1
View on nps.gov
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
What kind of drive is this?
118.4 mi in 2h 37m, mostly highway — 30.4 mi of that is on Wilbur Cross Parkway.
94% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.4 mi on Wilbur Cross Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Wilbur Cross Parkway and I 84. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near North Stamford Road.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 118.4 miles you will encounter 11 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: at 0.1 miles (North Stamford Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (CT 15 / Merritt Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 76.5 miles (I 84; US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 37m. Total distance: 118.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (94%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30.4 miles on Wilbur Cross Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.78 in tolls one way, starting with Berlin 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.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Quinebaug, CT before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Only with planning. This is a long drive for kids — consider splitting it into two days rather than pushing through. Plan at least 1 meaningful breaks. Dedicated rest areas are limited, so plan gas or food stops as your bathroom breaks.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (North Stamford Road): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles (CT 15 / Merritt Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 76.5 miles (I 84; US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Weir Farm National Historical Park and New England National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Quinebaug, CT before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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