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Trip from Manchester, NH to Laconia, NH

Data updated 3 hours ago

Drive Time

59m

Distance

44.1 mi

71 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m

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

city in New Hampshire, United States

Laconia, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 44.1-mile drive from Manchester, NH to Laconia, NH is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in under an hour, making it an ideal day trip. You'll primarily be on Styles Bridges Highway and the Everett Turnpike. With a modest fuel cost of around $7, this route offers a practical and efficient way to travel between these two New Hampshire communities in the Northeast region. The mixed drive profile suggests a comfortable journey without significant challenges, allowing you to focus on reaching your destination.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

22 miles from Manchester, NH

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 27m into the drive .

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Drive Character

The character of this drive is a mix, with about 35% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Styles Bridges Highway, including the longest uninterrupted segment of 18 miles. The Everett Turnpike will also contribute to the highway portion of your travel. Expect a profile that blends faster-paced highway driving with potentially more local road sections as you approach Laconia, offering a varied driving experience.

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.
Styles Bridges Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 18 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 early in the drive near Bridge Street.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 44.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

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 11 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

6
35.8 mi into trip | ~43m in

Take the exit toward US 3, NH 11, NH 132, NH 140: Laconia, Tilton

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

Exit 20 Toward US 3, NH 11, NH 132, NH 140: Laconia, Ti...
6
36.1 mi into trip | ~44m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Laconia, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Tilton along the way.

Tilton

35.8 mi in | ~43m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Styles Bridges Highway 18 mi 20m
Everett Turnpike 15.3 mi 18m
Laconia Road 4.7 mi 8m
Daniel Webster Highway 1.6 mi 3m
NH 11A 0.9 mi 2m
Sen Styles Bridges Highway 0.7 mi <1m
Elm Street 0.6 mi 1m
Bridge Street 0.4 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Styles Bridges Highway — 18 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Manchester, NH and Laconia, 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 left at fork onto I 93

10 mi · 12 min · Everett Turnpike
10

Continue on I 93

17 mi · 19 min · Styles Bridges Highway
11

Continue on I 93

0.7 mi · 46 sec · Sen Styles Bridges Highway
12

Continue on I 93

1.2 mi · 1 min · Styles Bridges Highway
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 50 sec
Exit 20 Toward US 3, NH 11, NH 132, NH 140: Laconia, Tilton
14

Keep slight left at fork

190 ft · 6 sec
Use the left lane.
15

Turn left onto US 3; NH 11; NH 132

4.7 mi · 8 min · Laconia Road
Use the left lane.
16

Continue on US 3; NH 11

1.6 mi · 3 min · Daniel Webster Highway
17

Continue on NH 11A; US 3 Business

0.9 mi · 2 min · NH 11A; US 3 Business
18

Turn left onto Fair Street

0.2 mi · 22 sec · Fair Street
19

Continue on New Salem Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · New Salem Street
20

Turn right onto Pleasant Street

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Pleasant Street
21

Arrive at destination

Pleasant Street

Trip Plan

Given the short duration of this 59-minute drive, you have plenty of flexibility with your departure time. There are no designated stops in the data, so plan to take care of any needs before you leave Manchester or upon arrival in Laconia. The longest stretch is 18 miles on Styles Bridges Highway, so keep an eye on your fuel level if you tend to drive further between fill-ups. With a total distance of 44.1 miles, it's an easy one-day trip without the need to split it up.

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 22 miles from Manchester, NH, or about 27m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 18 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 44.1 miles or 59m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 22 miles or 27m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 46m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Laconia, NH than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Manchester, NH so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Manchester, NH

This is one driving day of about 44.1 miles and 59m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Manchester, NH.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Styles Bridges Highway for about 18 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 22 mi from Manchester, NH · 27m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Albany, NY

22 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

Albany, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 44.1 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Albany, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22 miles from Manchester, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Laconia, NH

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

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Laconia, NH.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.10 one way

$14.20 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $7.81 $15.62
premium $4.86 $8.44 $16.89
diesel $5.61 $9.74 $19.47

Estimated Tolls: $1.07

Everett Turnpike (10.2 mi) $0.71
Everett Turnpike (5.2 mi) $0.36

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

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$7

Tolls

$1

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$33–$58

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.2 0 $4.63 $2.12
Efficient EV 11 0 $3.86 $1.76
EV Truck/SUV 17.6 0 $6.17 $2.82

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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 data refreshed 5 days ago

Origin

Manchester, NH

Evening in Manchester on Tuesday

Local time

8:56 PM

EDT

Current temp

48°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Laconia, NH

Evening in Laconia on Tuesday

Local time

8:56 PM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

20 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

59m 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 Laconia, NH covers 44.1 miles and takes about 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Styles Bridges Highway, Everett Turnpike, Laconia Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22 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 $7.10 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 demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 44.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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 Laconia, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Tilton along the way.

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