Origin
Chester, NH
Morning in Chester on Saturday
Local time
8:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chester, NH to Bedford, NH
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
18.6 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chester, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Bedford, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Chester, NH to Bedford, NH covers 18.6 miles and takes about 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 293, NH 101, Alan B Shepard Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.5 miles on I 293. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.99 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 33m. Total distance: 18.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from Chester, NH to Bedford, NH covers 18.6 miles and takes about 33m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 293 is the longest continuous segment at about 3.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near NH 121 / Chester Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.6 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (NH 121 / Chester Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (Old Auburn Road): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles (I 293): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
NH 121 / Chester Street
At end of road, turn right onto NH 121 / Chester Street
Navigation decision point
4
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
Old Auburn Road
Turn right onto Old Auburn Road
Navigation decision point
5
11.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
I 293
Take the exit onto I 293 toward I 293 North, NH 101 West: Manchester Airport, Bedford, Manchester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 293 North, NH 101 West: Manchester Air...
6
15.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
NH 101
Keep slight left at fork onto NH 101 toward NH 101 West: Bedford, Nashua
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward NH 101 West: Bedford, Nashua
5
18.6 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Bedford Center Road
Turn right onto Bedford Center Road
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Chester, NH and Bedford, NH, road signs point toward Manchester and Nashua.
Manchester
11.7 mi in
|
~22m
|
via I 293
Nashua
15.1 mi in
|
~27m
|
via NH 101
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 293 | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| NH 101 | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Alan B Shepard Highway | 2.7 mi | 3m |
| Derry Road | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Old Auburn Road | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Auburn Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| Old Derry Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| English Range Road | 0.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 293
— 3.5 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chester, NH and Bedford, NH.
1
Start on this road
329 ft
·
25 sec
·
this road
2
At end of road, turn right onto NH 121
153 ft
·
7 sec
·
Chester Street
3
Turn right onto NH 102
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Derry Road
4
Continue on NH 102
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Chester Road
5
Turn right onto Old Auburn Road
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Auburn Road
6
Turn left onto Pingree Hill Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Pingree Hill Road
7
Turn right onto English Range Road
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
English Range Road
8
Continue on Scobie Pond Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Scobie Pond Road
9
Continue on Old Manchester Road
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Old Manchester Road
10
Continue on Old Derry Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Derry Road
11
Turn left onto Auburn Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Auburn Road
12
At end of road, turn right onto NH 28
290 ft
·
4 sec
·
Rockingham Road
13
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 93 North
14
Merge onto I 93
2.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Alan B Shepard Highway
15
Take the exit onto I 293
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
I 293
Toward I 293 North, NH 101 West: Manchester Airport, Bedford, Manchester
16
Keep slight left at fork onto NH 101
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
NH 101
Toward NH 101 West: Bedford, Nashua
17
Turn left onto NH 101
0.4 mi
·
48 sec
·
NH 101
Use the left lane.
18
Continue on NH 101
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
NH 101
19
Turn right onto Meetinghouse Road
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Meetinghouse Road
20
Turn right onto Bedford Center Road
20 ft
·
0 sec
·
Bedford Center Road
21
Arrive at destination
Bedford Center Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.99 one way
$5.99 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.29 | $6.59 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.56 | $7.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.11 | $8.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Bedford, NH
Morning in Bedford on Saturday
Local time
8:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
14 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
33m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Chester, NH to Bedford, NH covers 18.6 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 293, NH 101, Alan B Shepard Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.3 miles from Chester, NH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.99 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 18.6 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (NH 121 / Chester Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles (Old Auburn Road): Navigation decision point; at 11.7 miles (I 293): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Chester, NH and Bedford, NH, road signs point toward Manchester and Nashua.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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