Bridgeport CT to Hartford drive: Best stops, distance & time

The best road trip stops on the Bridgeport CT to Hartford drive are Sea Bluff Beach, New Haven and Powder Ridge Mountain Park. The distance from Bridgeport CT to Hartford CT by car is 55 miles, with a 57 minute driving time.

Finding the best things to do between Bridgeport and Hartford

The Bridgeport to Hartford drive connects two of the biggest cities in Connecticut.

By population, Bridgeport is the biggest city in Connecticut. Its strength lies in its large system of parks. The sprawling Seaside Park, which contains Seaside Beach, should be first choice.

On a cultural level, the Barnum Museum celebrates legendary showman PT Barnum, who became mayor of Bridgeport. The circus-themes museum has been closed for major reconstruction – check it has reopened before visiting.

The grand Connecticut State Capitol Building is the obvious centerpiece of Hartford CT, but the city has a strong collection of cultural attractions. The Connecticut Museum of Culture and History tells the state’s story, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Art Museum is home to more than 50,000 works. There’s a good mix of European and American art, plus plenty of Egyptian bronzes.

The two highlights are right next to each other, however. The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and Mark Twain House celebrate the works and lives of two great American authors.

The top accommodation options in Hartford are the proudly grand Delamar West Hartford and the heritage-laced Goodwin.

Bridgeport CT to Hartford CT distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Bridgeport CT to Hartford CT is 55 miles. You can expect a driving time of around 57 minutes. The quickest route is usually along the CT-15 and I-91.

The best stops to add to a Bridgeport to Hartford road trip itinerary are Sea Bluff Beach, New Haven and the Powder Ridge Mountain Park.

For more suggestions, check out the guides to the Bridgeport to New Haven drive and New Haven to Hartford drive.

Bridgeport to Hartford road trip attractions: Sea Bluff Beach

Sea Bluff Beach in West Haven is one of the best beaches in Connecticut. The water is usually blue and calm, it’s sandy rather than pebbly, and there are good facilities. These include three volleyball courts and showers. Lifeguard services operate in season.

Best stops between Bridgeport CT and Hartford CT: New Haven CT

New Haven CT is home to Yale University, which provides the city’s top attractions. The Yale Center of British Art hosts the biggest collection of British Art outside the UK. Yale University Art Gallery covers a broader, global range. And the Yale Peabody Museum does natural history, evolution and dinosaur skeletons.

You can also do self-guided smartphone walking tours of the Yale campus, or a story-packed ghost walk.

New Haven’s other claim to fame is New Haven-style pizza. It’s close to a traditional Neapolitan style, with a thin, chewy base and very little melted cheese.

Good quality, academia-themed accommodation options in New Haven include the Study at Yale and the Graduate.

Bridgeport CT to Hartford CT drive: Powder Ridge Mountain Park

Powder Ridge Mountain Park is hardly America’s greatest ski resort, but in this less mountainous corner of New England it’ll do the job. Winter offers skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing and snow bikes. Then, when summer comes around, there’s a different menu of activities. Mountain biking, ziplines, summer tubing and paintball are on that menu.