Skip to main content

Trip from Manchester, NH to Durham, NH

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

51m

Distance

35.3 mi

57 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m

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

town in New Hampshire, United States

Durham, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 35.3-mile drive from Manchester to Durham, New Hampshire, is a manageable trip that can easily be completed in about 51 minutes. With a fuel cost estimated at $6, it's an economical option for a day trip. The route primarily uses NH 101 and Calef Highway, offering a mixed driving experience. Given its short duration and minimal fuel expense, this journey is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. You'll be traveling within the Northeast region, staying within the state of New Hampshire for the entirety of your trip.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 35.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

51m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (53%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

The drive from Manchester to Durham presents a mixed driving profile, with 53% of the journey on highways. Expect about 18.3 miles on NH 101 to be the longest uninterrupted stretch, offering a chance to maintain a steady speed. As you transition to roads like Calef Highway and Concord Road, the character of the drive will likely change, introducing more local road conditions. This blend means you'll experience both faster-paced highway segments and more varied, potentially slower, stretches as you near your destination.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
NH 101 is the longest continuous segment at about 18.3 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 35.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 12 key points

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

5
1.1 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 93 South

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 93 South
6
1.9 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the exit toward NH 101 East: Seacoast, Portsmouth

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 7 Toward NH 101 East: Seacoast, Portsmouth
8
21 mi into trip | ~26m in

Take the exit toward NH 125: Epping, Kingston

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 7 Toward NH 125: Epping, Kingston
4
21.2 mi into trip | ~27m in | NH 125 / Calef Highway

Turn left onto NH 125 / Calef Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
4
30.9 mi into trip | ~42m in | US 4 / Concord Road

Enter roundabout onto US 4 / Concord Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Manchester, NH and Durham, NH, road signs point toward Portsmouth and Kingston.

Portsmouth

1.9 mi in | ~4m

Kingston

21 mi in | ~26m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NH 101 18.3 mi 21m
Calef Highway 9.7 mi 14m
Concord Road 2.5 mi 3m
Main Street 1.6 mi 4m
Bridge Street 1.1 mi 2m
I 93 0.3 mi <1m
Mill Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: NH 101 — 18.3 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Bridge Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · Bridge Street
2

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 1 min
Toward I 93 South Use the left lane.
3

Merge onto I 93

0.3 mi · 25 sec · I 93
4

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 7 Toward NH 101 East: Seacoast, Portsmouth
5

Merge onto NH 101

18 mi · 21 min · NH 101
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 36 sec
Exit 7 Toward NH 125: Epping, Kingston Use the slight right lane.
7

Turn left onto NH 125

9.7 mi · 14 min · Calef Highway
Use the straight lane.
8

Enter roundabout onto US 4

27 ft · 0 sec · Concord Road
9

Continue on US 4

2.5 mi · 3 min · Concord Road
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 32 sec
Toward NH 155A: Durham
11

Turn right onto NH 155A

0.8 mi · 1 min · Main Street
Use the straight lane.
12

Enter roundabout onto Main Street

112 ft · 6 sec · Main Street
13

Continue on Main Street

0.9 mi · 2 min · Main Street
14

Turn right onto Mill Road

201 ft · 14 sec · Mill Road
15

Continue on Mill Road

107 ft · 3 sec · Mill Road
16

Arrive at destination

Mill Road

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 17.7 mi from Manchester, NH · 23m into the drive

town in the U.S. state of New Hampshire

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Epping, NH

18 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

Madbury, NH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Fremont, NH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.7 miles from Manchester, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Durham, NH

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Durham, 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

$5.68 one way

$11.37 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $6.25 $12.51
premium $4.86 $6.76 $13.52
diesel $5.61 $7.79 $15.59

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.6 0 $3.71 $1.69
Efficient EV 8.8 0 $3.09 $1.41
EV Truck/SUV 14.1 0 $4.94 $2.26

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% 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

Night in Manchester on Thursday

Local time

10:07 PM

EDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Durham, NH

Night in Durham on Thursday

Local time

10:07 PM

EDT

Current temp

39°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

1 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

51m 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 Durham, NH covers 35.3 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are NH 101, Calef Highway, Concord Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.7 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 $5.68 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 short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 35.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Manchester, NH and Durham, NH, road signs point toward Portsmouth and Kingston.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

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

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NH road trips.

Explore maps for Manchester, NH or Durham, NH on MapSof.net.