Connecticut State Route 169 runs through the northeast corner of Connecticut, a part of the state known as the Quiet Corner. The road follows the old Norwich and Woodstock Turnpike, a private toll road chartered in 1801.
Connecticut named the road a state scenic road in 1991, and the National Scenic Byway section covers 32.1 miles from Lisbon north to the Massachusetts line. Scenic America once ranked it among the top scenic roads in the country.
State Route 169 links five historic villages, each with a town green, a white church, and old stone walls running along the fields. Between the villages, the road passes cornfields, apple orchards, and large barns with silos.
It is a short drive with a lot of small stops, so it works best for an afternoon of pulling over at a farm stand, a museum, or a village common.
Route Details: Connecticut State Route 169
Mile markers below are approximate distances from the southern end of the byway.
Lisbon (0 miles)
Lisbon began as the Newent district of Norwich, which became its own district in 1718. The town took its current name in 1786, when the merchants Hezekiah and Jabez Perkins began trading with Lisbon, Portugal. The center of town is still called Newent. The John Bishop House, built in 1810, and the Newent Congregational Church, built in 1858, are both on the byway.
Canterbury (8 miles)
Canterbury holds a well-preserved colonial village and the Prudence Crandall Museum, a National Historic Landmark in a former schoolhouse. Crandall opened an academy here for young Black women in the 1830s. The town is also known for its Georgian-style architecture.
Brooklyn (14 miles)
Brooklyn is home to the Brooklyn Fair, held each late summer and billed as the oldest continuously run agricultural fair in the country. The Israel Putnam Monument, dedicated in 1888, stands in the village, and Trinity Episcopal Church, built in 1866, is worth a look on the green.
Pomfret (22 miles)
Pomfret was once called the other Newport because wealthy summer visitors built estates here. Part of the town center is listed as the Pomfret Street Historic District, and several private schools still sit on old grounds along the road. Lapsley Orchard is a good place for cider and apples in season.
Woodstock (30 miles)
Woodstock is centered on a town common with a mix of architectural styles. Roseland Cottage, built in the Gothic Revival style and painted pink, is the town’s best-known site, and the surrounding gardens are open to visitors. Woodstock is also home to Mrs. Bridge’s Pantry, a farm-to-table stop.
Massachusetts line (32 miles)
The byway ends at the Connecticut-Massachusetts border, where the road continues as Route 169 through Southbridge. Many visitors turn around here or continue north to Old Sturbridge Village.
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