3 CT Highway Rest Stops Earn National Recognition For Clean Facilities

CONNECTICUT — Clean and welcoming public bathrooms may not be top-of-mind when you contemplate a drive around Danbury, but a new report just may get you thinking differently.

The survey from truck driver support organization American River Wellness rates all the country's highway rest stops (look, somebody had to, ok?), and three public restrooms in Connecticut made the Top 120.

According to the loo aficionados, the facilities at the Danbury Welcome Center westbound on Interstate 84 right near the New York border feel "like a breath of fresh New England air." The organization ranked the Hat City latrines No. 1 in the state, and No. 82 nationally.

The truck driver analysts gushed over "tidy facilities, visitor brochures galore, and a staff that actually smiles." (Imagine!) The rest stop reviewers also raved about the autumn leaf-peeping views, which they graded as "next level."

At No. 86, the Interstate 95 Darien Service Plaza (Northbound and Southbound) is not so much a rest stop as it is "a mini-mall for tired travelers," according to the report. Its clean restrooms, Starbucks, Dunkin’, and even local food options, all contribute to its "polished, modern vibe," which came as a "welcome break" to the analysts.

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Also making the cut for Connecticut is the rest area found travelling northbound between New Haven and Hartford on Interstate 91 in Wallingford, ranked at No. 120. The truck drivers surveyed found it "always clean, rarely crowded, and easy to get in and out of," as well as a "commuter lifesaver." The shaded picnic tables "seal the deal, making it a solid pit stop for both snack breaks and sanity breaks."

Just over 3,000 truck drivers were hit up for their highway hygiene intel, and these road warriors take their bathroom breaks very, very seriously, according to the report's authors.

"We often think of rest stops as mere necessities, but they’re powerful reflections of a community’s values," says Graham Sargent of American River Wellness. "For long-haul truckers especially - who spend days or weeks at a time on the road - a clean, welcoming facility sends a simple but important message: 'You matter here.'"

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Planning a road trip around America's best highway bathrooms? We want to party with you, cowgirl, and we direct your attention to the Kula Forest Reserve Picnic Area in Maui, Hawaii. It's the No. 1 rest stop in the nation, according to the report, and how could it not be? "Set under eucalyptus trees, it features clean compost toilets, peaceful picnic areas, and the kind of quiet that makes you linger a little longer…"

Almost brings a tear to the eye… or maybe that's just the compost.