Origin
Manchester, NH
Afternoon in Manchester on Saturday
Local time
1:07 PM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Manchester, NH to Plaistow, 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
36.7 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
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 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Manchester, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Plaistow, NH
Roman Biernacki
Trip Overview
This 36.7-mile drive from Manchester to Plaistow, New Hampshire, will take you about 49 minutes, making it a perfect one-day trip. You'll primarily be on the Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway and I-495, with a highway share of 19%. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $6. This route offers a straightforward drive within the Northeast region, ideal for a quick excursion or an easy commute. Its short duration means you won't need to split your travel time or worry about overnight stays.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 36.7 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' for this 49-minute journey. While you'll encounter some highway stretches, including a continuous 14.6-mile segment on the Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway, the overall profile suggests frequent transitions. With only 19% of the route on highways, you'll likely experience a mix of faster driving and navigating through local roads. This dynamic means you'll need to stay alert as the road conditions and speed limits change throughout the drive.
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.
Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 14.6 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 1.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 36.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 key pointsThese 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
8
3.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway toward I 93 South: Derry, Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 93 South: Derry, Boston
6
23.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward MA 213 East: Methuen, Haverhill
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 48
Toward MA 213 East: Methuen, Haverhill
5
24.2 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
MA 213 / Loop Connector
Merge onto MA 213 / Loop Connector toward I 93 South: Boston
Merge point - match speed before joining
Exit 1A
Toward I 93 South: Boston
7
27.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 North: Haverhill, Salisbury
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 5B
Toward I 495 North: Haverhill, Salisbury
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 Plaistow, NH, road signs point toward Boston, Haverhill and Salisbury.
Boston
3.8 mi in
|
~7m
|
via I 93
Haverhill
23.9 mi in
|
~30m
Salisbury
27.8 mi in
|
~36m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway | 14.6 mi | 16m |
| I 495 | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Alan B Shepard Highway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Loop Connector | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| I 93 | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| North Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Bridge Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway
— 14.6 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Manchester, NH and Plaistow, 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
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
I 93
4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Alan B Shepard Highway
Toward I 93 South: Derry, Boston
Use the slight left lane.
5
Continue on I 93
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Alan B Shepard Jr Highway
6
Continue on I 93
15 mi
·
16 min
·
Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 48
Toward MA 213 East: Methuen, Haverhill
8
Merge onto MA 213
250 ft
·
5 sec
·
Loop Connector
Exit 1A
Toward I 93 South: Boston
9
Continue on MA 213
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Loop Connector
Exit 48
Toward MA 213 East: Methuen
10
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 5B
Toward I 495 North: Haverhill, Salisbury
11
Merge onto I 495
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
I 495
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 109A
Toward MA 125 South: Haverhill
13
Turn slight right onto MA 125
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Main Street
14
Turn slight left onto Marsh Avenue
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Marsh Avenue
15
Continue on North Avenue
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North Avenue
16
Turn right onto NH 121A
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
17
Arrive at destination
NH 121A
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.3 mi from Manchester, NH · 24m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 36.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from Manchester, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Plaistow, NH
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Plaistow, 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
$5.91 one way
$11.82 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.50 | $13.00 |
| premium | $4.86 | $7.03 | $14.06 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.10 | $16.21 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.14 | $2.35 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Plaistow, NH
Afternoon in Plaistow on Saturday
Local time
1:07 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Lawrence, MA
18 mi in
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
22 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
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 Plaistow, NH covers 36.7 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway, I 495, Alan B Shepard Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.3 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 $5.91 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 9 decision points packed into just 36.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 3.8 miles (I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Manchester, NH and Plaistow, NH, road signs point toward Boston, Haverhill and Salisbury.
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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