Origin
Waterbury, CT
Morning in Waterbury on Friday
Local time
9:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waterbury, CT to Derby, CT
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
18 mi
29 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 27m
8 PM
0h 22m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waterbury, CT
Wikimedia Commons
Derby, CT
cottonbro studio
Trip Overview
The drive from Waterbury, CT to Derby, CT covers 18 miles and takes about 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on CT 8, Elizabeth Street, Riverside Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.3 miles on CT 8. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.90 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 18 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
This is a 23m highway drive covering 18 miles, with most of the trip on CT 8 and Elizabeth Street. The longest continuous stretch is about 16.3 miles on CT 8.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 11 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
CT 8 is the longest continuous segment at about 16.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on CT 8 and Elizabeth Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near West Main Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 6 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 (West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Riverside Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (CT 8): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
|
West Main Street
Depart onto West Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Riverside Street
Turn left onto Riverside Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
CT 8
Merge onto CT 8
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
17.2 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward Seymour Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13
Toward Seymour Avenue
4
17.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| CT 8 | 16.3 mi | 19m |
| Elizabeth Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Riverside Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| West Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Seymour Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
CT 8
— 16.3 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waterbury, CT and Derby, CT.
1
Start on West Main Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
West Main Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn left onto Riverside Street
113 ft
·
1 sec
·
Riverside Street
3
Continue on Riverside Street
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Riverside Street
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Toward CT 8 South: Bridgeport
5
Merge onto CT 8
16 mi
·
19 min
·
CT 8
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 13
Toward Seymour Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Turn slight right onto Seymour Avenue
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Seymour Avenue
8
Turn slight right onto Elizabeth Street
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Elizabeth Street
9
Turn left
86 ft
·
6 sec
10
Turn slight right
7 ft
·
0 sec
11
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.90 one way
$5.80 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.19 | $6.38 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.45 | $6.89 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.97 | $7.95 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.89 | $0.86 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.58 | $0.72 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Derby, CT
Morning in Derby on Friday
Local time
9:45 AM
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
23m 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 Waterbury, CT to Derby, CT covers 18 miles and takes about 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are CT 8, Elizabeth Street, Riverside 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 9 miles from Waterbury, CT. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.90 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 23m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (West Main Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Riverside Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (CT 8): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Waterbury, CT to Derby, 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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