Skip to main content

Trip from Manchester, NH to Barnstead, NH

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

Drive Time

49m

Distance

30 mi

48 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 47m

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

human settlement in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States of America

Barnstead, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 30-mile drive from Manchester to Barnstead, New Hampshire, is a manageable 49-minute journey, perfect for a single day trip. You'll navigate primarily via the Suncook Valley Highway and Suncook Valley Road, with a brief stint on the Everett Turnpike. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $5, this route offers an economical way to explore the Northeast region. Given its short duration and lack of designated stops, it's a straightforward excursion ideal for a leisurely afternoon or a quick errand. The drive is characterized by its frequent turns, making it a more engaging local experience rather than a high-speed transit.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 30 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m 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 turn-heavy local drive on this route, where only 22% of the journey involves highway travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 7.2 miles along the Suncook Valley Highway, offering a brief period of consistent cruising. As you transition from the Everett Turnpike onto local roads like Suncook Valley Road, the driving experience shifts from faster highway speeds to a more winding, community-focused path. This change in character means you'll be more engaged with the road, navigating through varied terrain and frequent directional changes.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 29 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Suncook Valley Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 7.2 miles.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

530 ft 195 ft

Total Climb

465 ft

Total Descent

207 ft

Highest Point

530 ft

~25.7 mi in

Elevation Range

335 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Bridge Street.

Driving Effort 6/10

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 30 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: near the start (Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (West Salmon Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 14 key points

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

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Bridge Street

Depart onto Bridge Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
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.

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 Barnstead, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Hooksett along the way.

Hooksett

7.3 mi in | ~10m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Suncook Valley Highway 7.2 mi 11m
Suncook Valley Road 6.1 mi 9m
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 Highway — 7.2 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Manchester, NH and Barnstead, 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

0.7 mi · 55 sec · Suncook Valley Road
28

Turn right onto Parade Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Parade Road
29

Arrive at destination

2 ft · 0 sec · Parade Road

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 15 mi from Manchester, NH · 26m into the drive

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

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chichester, NH

15 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

Chichester, NH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Chichester, NH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15 miles from Manchester, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Barnstead, NH

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Barnstead, NH if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.83 one way

$9.66 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $5.31 $10.63
premium $4.86 $5.74 $11.49
diesel $5.61 $6.62 $13.25

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

$5

Tolls

$0

Total

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9 0 $3.15 $1.44
Efficient EV 7.5 0 $2.63 $1.20
EV Truck/SUV 12 0 $4.20 $1.92

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Forecast as of Apr 13, 2026

Origin

Manchester, NH

Late night in Manchester on Saturday

Local time

12:05 AM

EDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Barnstead, NH

Late night in Barnstead on Saturday

Local time

12:05 AM

EDT

Current temp

40°F

Light Rain

S 10 mph 78% chance 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

2 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

49m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 Barnstead, NH covers 30 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

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

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 15 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 $4.83 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 30 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: near the start (Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1 miles (West Salmon Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.5 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

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

Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 195 ft to 530 ft elevation with about 465 ft of total climbing.

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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Return Trip

Barnstead, NH to Manchester, NH

Plan the drive back the other way.

30.5 mi 50m

Explore more options from Manchester, NH or browse trips ending in Barnstead, NH.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NH road trips.