Origin
Freetown, MA
Morning in Freetown on Saturday
Local time
11:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Freetown, MA to New Bedford, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
12.9 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Freetown, MA
Tappiah Sesay
New Bedford, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Freetown, MA to New Bedford, MA covers 12.9 miles and takes about 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway, Chipaway Road, Bullock Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.2 miles on Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $2.06 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 12.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 23m drive with frequent turns across 12.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 3.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Slab Bridge Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Slab Bridge Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6 miles (MA 140 / Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 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
|
Slab Bridge Road
Turn right onto Slab Bridge Road
Navigation decision point
5
5.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Take the ramp toward MA 140 South: New Bedford, Dartmouth
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MA 140 South: New Bedford, Dartmouth
5
6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
MA 140 / Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway
Merge onto MA 140 / Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
9.1 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4
Toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road
5
12.8 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
Market Street
Turn left onto Market Street
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Freetown, MA to New Bedford, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Dartmouth along the way.
Dartmouth
5.7 mi in
|
~11m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway | 3.2 mi | 3m |
| Chipaway Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Bullock Road | 2.2 mi | 5m |
| Purchase Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Mount Pleasant Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Braley Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Nauset Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Sixth Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway
— 3.2 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Freetown, MA and New Bedford, MA.
1
Start on this road
272 ft
·
22 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Slab Bridge Road
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Slab Bridge Road
3
Continue on Bullock Road
2.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Bullock Road
4
Turn left onto Chipaway Road
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Chipaway Road
5
Continue on Braley Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Braley Road
6
Continue on Braley Road
139 ft
·
2 sec
·
Braley Road
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward MA 140 South: New Bedford, Dartmouth
8
Merge onto MA 140
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 4
Toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn left onto Mount Pleasant Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Mount Pleasant Street
11
Turn left onto Nauset Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Nauset Street
12
Continue on Purchase Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Purchase Street
13
Continue on Pleasant Street
432 ft
·
10 sec
·
Pleasant Street
14
Continue on Sixth Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Sixth Street
15
Turn left onto Market Street
237 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
16
Turn left onto Pleasant Street
172 ft
·
3 sec
·
Pleasant Street
17
Arrive at destination
Pleasant Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.06 one way
$4.13 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.25 | $4.50 |
| premium | $4.82 | $2.45 | $4.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
New Bedford, MA
Morning in New Bedford on Saturday
Local time
11:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
16 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
23m 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 Freetown, MA to New Bedford, MA covers 12.9 miles and takes about 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway, Chipaway Road, Bullock Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.4 miles from Freetown, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.06 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 is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Slab Bridge Road): Navigation decision point; at 5.7 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6 miles (MA 140 / Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Freetown, MA to New Bedford, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Dartmouth along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park.
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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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