National Scenic Byway · Connecticut

Merritt Parkway

Connecticut's first parkway: a wooded, passenger-car-only drive from the New York line to Milford, under 69 bridges, many in Art Deco style.

Also known as Route 15

Merritt Parkway: Eye-pleasing Overpass along the Merritt Parkway

Photo: U.S. Department of Transportation, America's Byways collection (National Archives), Public domain, source

  • Length37 miles[1]CTDOT's 2008 history calls it a 38-mile parkway.
  • Drive timeAbout one hour[1]FHWA's "time to allow"
  • RoadsRoute 15[3]
  • Start and endNew York state line in Greenwich to Milford, where it becomes the Wilbur Cross Parkway[2]
  • Fees and passesNone[1]
  • Best seasonNot verified
  • SurfaceNot verified
  • Vehicle notesPassenger vehicles only: trucks, commercial vehicles, buses and all trailers (including campers) are banned, and vehicles over 8 feet tall, 24 feet long or 7 feet 6 inches wide aren't allowed because of the low bridges.[3]
  • Seasonal closuresNot verified

Before you go

Road status and weather can change quickly. Check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Facts last checked against the sources on October 22, 2026.

About the drive

The Merritt Parkway opened in sections from 1938 and formally opened as Connecticut's first parkway in 1940. It runs from the New York line in Greenwich through Stamford, New Canaan, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield, Trumbull, Bridgeport and Stratford to Milford.

Its 69 bridges were designed under architect George Dunkelberger, many in an ornate Art Deco style. The parkway is a state scenic road and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

It's for passenger vehicles only. Trucks, buses and all trailers are banned, and the low bridges limit vehicle height to 8 feet.

Stops along the way

  1. Greenwich

    South end of the parkway at the New York line.

    Official information · 41.02649, -73.62846 · about 2.5 mi from the route line

  2. New Canaan

    One of the towns the parkway passes.

    Official information · 41.14677, -73.49485 · about 2.0 mi from the route line

  3. Westport

    One of the towns the parkway passes.

    Official information · 41.14149, -73.3579 · about 1.5 mi from the route line

  4. Housatonic River

    The parkway reached the Housatonic River bridge in 1940.

    Official information · 41.20499, -73.11076 · about 2.5 mi from the route line

Stops are listed in order along the route; the numbers match the map. Stop locations come from the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey place-names database, the stop's own official page or, where noted in the data, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors).

Food along the way

Farmers markets within about 25 miles

Markets keep their own seasons and hours, so check with the market before you go. Find more in the Farmers Market Finder.

Sources

  1. America's Byways: Merritt Parkway (FHWA) (checked 2026-10-22)
  2. Governor Rell Commemorates the 70th Anniversary of the Opening of the Merritt Parkway (CTDOT, 2008) (checked 2026-10-22)
  3. Parkway Restrictions (Connecticut Department of Transportation) (checked 2026-10-22)
  4. Route line: U.S. DOT scenic byways map service (geo.dot.gov), retrieved 2026-10-22.

Written by VanillaGoods from the cited official sources. This is a drive to know, not a ranking. Road status and weather can change quickly; check the official road-conditions link before you go.

Spot something out of date? Email help@vanillagoods.com (help@vanillagoods.com).

More drives in Connecticut · All scenic drives