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Trip from Manchester, NH to Alton, NH

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 7m

Distance

41.1 mi

66 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 4m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Hillsborough County in southern New Hampshire, United States

Manchester, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Alton, NH, NH

Alton, NH

Barnabas Davoti

Trip Overview

The drive from Manchester, NH to Alton, NH covers 41.1 miles and takes about 1h 7m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Suncook Valley Road, Suncook Valley Highway, Everett Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.2 miles on Suncook Valley Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.62 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 41.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 7m drive with frequent turns across 41.1 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Suncook Valley Road is the longest continuous segment at about 17.2 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near West Salmon Street.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 41.1 miles you will encounter 15 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 1 miles (West Salmon Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 8.6 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
1 mi into trip | ~2m in | West Salmon Street

Turn left onto West Salmon Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in

Enter roundabout

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
8.6 mi into trip | ~14m in | Main Street

Turn left onto Main Street

Navigation decision point

6
9.4 mi into trip | ~15m in | US 3; NH 28 / Hooksett Road

Turn left onto US 3; NH 28 / Hooksett Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
5
41 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in

Turn left

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 Manchester, NH to Alton, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Hooksett along the way.

Hooksett

7.3 mi in | ~10m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Suncook Valley Road 17.2 mi 26m
Suncook Valley Highway 7.2 mi 11m
Everett Turnpike 5.5 mi 6m
Pinewood Road 3.2 mi 5m
Hooksett Road 2.2 mi 4m
Route 28 1.3 mi 1m
Elm Street 0.6 mi 1m
College Park Drive 0.5 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Suncook Valley Road — 17.2 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Manchester, NH and Alton, NH.

1

Start on Bridge Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Bridge Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
2

Turn right onto US 3

0.6 mi · 1 min · Elm Street
3

Turn left onto West Salmon Street

0.2 mi · 17 sec · West Salmon Street
Use the left lane.
4

Continue on Amoskeag Bridge

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Amoskeag Bridge
5

Continue on Amoskeag Street

0.2 mi · 21 sec · Amoskeag Street
6

Enter roundabout

179 ft · 3 sec
7

Continue

0.3 mi · 32 sec
8

Merge onto I 293; NH 3A

5.2 mi · 6 min · Everett Turnpike
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 93

0.3 mi · 21 sec · Everett Turnpike
10

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward Hooksett
11

Turn left onto Hackett Hill Road

0.3 mi · 39 sec · Hackett Hill Road
12

Turn left onto NH 3A

0.3 mi · 43 sec · West River Road
13

Turn right onto Riverside Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · Riverside Street
14

Turn left onto Main Street

0.2 mi · 36 sec · Main Street
15

Turn straight onto College Park Drive

0.5 mi · 1 min · College Park Drive
16

Turn left onto US 3; NH 28

2.2 mi · 4 min · Hooksett Road
Use the left lane.
17

Continue on US 3; NH 28

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Allenstown Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
18

Turn right onto NH 28

3.2 mi · 5 min · Pinewood Road
19

Continue on NH 28

1.3 mi · 1 min · Route 28
20

Continue on NH 28

4.3 mi · 6 min · Suncook Valley Highway
21

Enter roundabout onto NH 28

208 ft · 5 sec · Suncook Valley Highway
22

Continue on NH 28

1.6 mi · 2 min · Suncook Valley Highway
23

Continue on NH 28

4.3 mi · 6 min · Suncook Valley Road
24

Continue on NH 28

0.3 mi · 30 sec · Suncook Valley Highway
25

Continue on NH 28

1.1 mi · 2 min · Suncook Valley Road
Use the straight lane.
26

Continue on NH 28

1.0 mi · 1 min · Suncook Valley Highway
27

Continue on NH 28

12 mi · 18 min · Suncook Valley Road
Use the right lane.
28

Enter roundabout onto NH 11; NH 28A

0.2 mi · 31 sec · NH 11; NH 28A
29

Continue on NH 11; NH 28A

0.3 mi · 43 sec · NH 11; NH 28A
30

Turn left

336 ft · 24 sec
31

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 20.5 mi from Manchester, NH · 34m into the drive

town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chichester, NH

21 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Wolfeboro, NH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Chichester, NH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.5 miles from Manchester, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Alton, NH

The final approach into Alton, NH usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.62 one way

$13.23 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $7.28 $14.56
premium $4.86 $7.87 $15.74
diesel $5.61 $9.07 $18.15

Estimated Tolls: $0.36

Everett Turnpike (5.2 mi) $0.36

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$0

Total

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.3 0 $4.32 $1.97
Efficient EV 10.3 0 $3.60 $1.64
EV Truck/SUV 16.4 0 $5.75 $2.63

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Manchester, NH

Morning in Manchester on Saturday

Local time

10:26 AM

EDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Alton, NH

Morning in Alton on Saturday

Local time

10:26 AM

EDT

Current temp

56°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

18 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

1h 7m 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 Manchester, NH to Alton, NH covers 41.1 miles and takes about 1h 7m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Suncook Valley Road, Suncook Valley Highway, Everett Turnpike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 20.5 miles from Manchester, NH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.62 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 41.1 miles you will encounter 15 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 1 miles (West Salmon Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 8.6 miles (Main Street): Navigation decision point.

On the drive from Manchester, NH to Alton, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Hooksett along the way.

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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