New England - New Haven Airport

Never flown out of HVN before, but I just made a reservation that may be cutting it close. Can I leave Yale at 4:45 PM, return a car and catch a flight that leaves at 6:15 PM?

Yale is only five miles from Tweed, and most times the trip takes about ten minutes. However, you'll be hitting the start of rush hour. New Haven, with its maze of one way streets, might be tricky to leave. Then you'll need to cross the Quinnipiac River, where there is a major bridge reconstruction project going on. Heavy traffic, bad weather, a traffic accident in any combination can really mess things up. You'll definitely be cutting it close.

You'll definitely be cutting it close.

Close, yes, but I'd be confident I'd make it. Make sure you have your route planned.

Close, yes, but I'd be confident I'd make it. Make sure you have your route planned.Agreed. Don't dawdle, but the risk of not making it is fairly low.

Thanks. That's good to know. It seems like I could either take I-95 or Forbes Ave to cross the river. Any idea which one is less likely to be backed up around rush hour?

Thanks. That's good to know. It seems like I could either take I-95 or Forbes Ave to cross the river. Any idea which one is less likely to be backed up around rush hour?
Both. Take 95.

Specifically, get on the Rt34 connector in New Haven to get on 95. Do not get on 91 to get to 95. I91 is a supreme mess at the 91/95 interchange.

Yale covers a large part, some would say all, of New Haven. A route from the Med school, for example, would be different from Law or Divinity. In any case, at that hour, I'd avoid either the 34 Connector or I-91. I'd take Elm Street (one-way away from Yale). You will cross State Street, then take a right onto Olive Street. Immediately after the first traffic light on Olive, take a left onto Wooster. Wooster Street, home of Sally's and Pepe's Pizza is one-way out of town and at its end is an entrance ramp to I-95 going across the Quinnipiac River. You'll enter in the left lane, but will need to get over to the right lane because as soon as you cross the river, you'll take the first exit and follow the signs to the airport.

Thanks, everyone here saved me a bit potential headache. I'll be leaving from Yale-New Haven hospital, so the Oak St connector to 95 seems like a more direct way, but if you say to avoid it, I could reach your route by taking George St to State to Chapel to Olive.

If you're leaving YNH, definitely take the connector. It's right there and it's only about a mile before you get on 95. Traffic will really not be that bad, if there's any at all. You'll be rolling the dice more with surface streets.

Now knowing just how close you are, there's no worry at all about making your flight. I'd estimate your ride door-to-door to be 30 mins absolute tops and probably not that long.

If you're leaving YNH, definitely take the connector. It's right there and it's only about a mile before you get on 95. Traffic will really not be that bad, if there's any at all. You'll be rolling the dice more with surface streets.

Now knowing just how close you are, there's no worry at all about making your flight. I'd estimate your ride door-to-door to be 30 mins absolute tops and probably not that long.

I agree. Let us know how you made out.

If you're leaving YNH, definitely take the connector. It's right there and it's only about a mile before you get on 95. Traffic will really not be that bad, if there's any at all. You'll be rolling the dice more with surface streets.

Now knowing just how close you are, there's no worry at all about making your flight. I'd estimate your ride door-to-door to be 30 mins absolute tops and probably not that long.

Sweet! Sorry for not being clear at the beginning. Crazy month and I've got about another 7-8 close calls like this, but New Haven is the only place I hadn't been to before. Its still a month away, but I'll let everyone know how much time I had to spare afterwards.

There's leaving and then there's leaving -- it takes me a while to get from my office to the car at my medical center job.

It would be nice to know if you and the airport have status? For example, the elite line at PVD is very nice if you're elite or in F. Almost never a line there. If HVN has one, and you are eligible, thats huge. These little airports, in my experience, are hit or miss -- there's rare line but when its there, its deadly.

There's leaving and then there's leaving -- it takes me a while to get from my office to the car at my medical center job.

It would be nice to know if you and the airport have status? For example, the elite line at PVD is very nice if you're elite or in F. Almost never a line there. If HVN has one, and you are eligible, thats huge. These little airports, in my experience, are hit or miss -- there's rare line but when its there, its deadly.HVN handles a 37-seat DH8 every few hours. It's hard to imagine that there's ever a line for security.

HVN handles a 37-seat DH8 every few hours. It's hard to imagine that there's ever a line for security.
There's not ever a line for anything there.

Let's just not talk about it. HVN is a bit of a sore spot for me since DL pulled out. :(

HVN handles a 37-seat DH8 every few hours. It's hard to imagine that there's ever a line for security.

Not quite. There's always a line for security. The check point remains closed until about 45 minutes before the flight. At this point, everyone traveling needs to line up to go through security. All it takes is one person with an issue, and you can be standing there for longer than you would like. There's no separate line for first class, because there is no first class on these planes.

Did this last week. Got to HVN and returned the rental car with about half an hour to spare. Checkpoint had just opened when I got there and took about 5 minutes to get through. Thanks everyone.

Good to hear. Hope you enjoyed the area.

Not quite. There's always a line for security. The check point remains closed until about 45 minutes before the flight. At this point, everyone traveling needs to line up to go through security. All it takes is one person with an issue, and you can be standing there for longer than you would like.

True, but as long as you're in line I highly doubt you'd miss the flight. It's not as though the plane would leave with 25 people still waiting to clear security who are obviously headed for that flight.