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Trip from Merrimack, NH to Keene, NH

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

Drive Time

1h 30m

Distance

49.8 mi

80 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min
4 AM
1h 24m ★
6 AM
1h 31m
8 AM
1h 45m
10 AM
1h 36m
12 PM
1h 34m
3 PM
1h 36m
5 PM
1h 44m
8 PM
1h 27m

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

town in New Hampshire, United States

Merrimack, NH

Wikimedia Commons

city in New Hampshire, United States

Keene, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Merrimack, NH to Keene, NH covers 49.8 miles and takes about 1h 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Main Street, Gibbons Highway, NH 101 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.8 miles on Main Street. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.02 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

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

Midpoint

24.9 miles from Merrimack, NH

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 45m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 30m. Total distance: 49.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 30m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (19%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 30m drive with frequent turns across 49.8 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Main Street is the longest continuous segment at about 10.8 miles.

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 8 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 3 / Daniel Webster Highway.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 49.8 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.2 miles (US 3 / Daniel Webster Highway): Navigation decision point; at 10.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 30.7 miles (NH 101 / Peterborough Bypass): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 8 key points

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

4
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 3 / Daniel Webster Highway

At end of road, turn left onto US 3 / Daniel Webster Highway

Navigation decision point

3
10.2 mi into trip | ~21m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

4
30.7 mi into trip | ~55m in | NH 101 / Peterborough Bypass

Enter roundabout onto NH 101 / Peterborough Bypass

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

4
49.4 mi into trip | ~1h 29m in | Main Street

Enter roundabout onto Main Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
49.8 mi into trip | ~1h 30m in | Roxbury Street

Turn right onto Roxbury Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Main Street 10.8 mi 21m
Gibbons Highway 9.3 mi 14m
NH 101 4.8 mi 6m
State Route 101 4.7 mi 8m
Milford Road 4.3 mi 8m
Wilton Road 4 mi 6m
Continental Boulevard 3.8 mi 8m
Peterborough Bypass 2.4 mi 3m
Longest stretch: Main Street — 10.8 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Merrimack, NH and Keene, NH.

1

Start on Loop Road

0.2 mi · 46 sec · Loop Road
2

At end of road, turn left onto US 3

1.7 mi · 4 min · Daniel Webster Highway
3

Turn right onto Greeley Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · Greeley Street
4

Continue on Continental Boulevard

3.8 mi · 8 min · Continental Boulevard
Use the left / straight lanes.
5

Turn right onto NH 101A

4.3 mi · 8 min · Milford Road
6

Turn left

0.3 mi · 42 sec
7

Merge onto NH 101

4.8 mi · 6 min · NH 101
8

Turn left onto NH 101

1.4 mi · 2 min · Elm Street
9

Continue on NH 101

9.3 mi · 14 min · Gibbons Highway
10

Continue on NH 101

4.0 mi · 6 min · Wilton Road
11

Continue on NH 101

176 ft · 5 sec · State Route 101
12

Merge onto NH 101

0.6 mi · 1 min · Peterborough Bypass
13

Enter roundabout onto NH 101

90 ft · 2 sec · Peterborough Bypass
14

Continue on NH 101

1.8 mi · 2 min · Peterborough Bypass
15

Continue on NH 101

3.5 mi · 5 min · State Route 101
16

Continue on NH 101

9.9 mi · 18 min · Main Street
17

Continue on NH 101

1.8 mi · 3 min · Marlboro Street
18

Continue on NH 101

1.2 mi · 2 min · State Route 101
19

Turn right onto Main Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Main Street
20

Enter roundabout onto Main Street

119 ft · 2 sec · Main Street
21

Continue on Main Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Main Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
22

Turn right onto Roxbury Street

33 ft · 0 sec · Roxbury Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
23

Arrive at destination

Roxbury Street

Trip Plan

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 24.9 miles from Merrimack, NH, or about 45m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 10.8 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 11 miles or 22m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 24.9 miles or 45m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 15m

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

Before You Leave

+

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

Day 1

Settle into the route from Merrimack, NH

This is one driving day of about 49.8 miles and 1h 30m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 11 miles from Merrimack, NH.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Main Street for about 10.8 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 24.9 mi from Merrimack, NH · 45m into the drive

Downtown Greenville, NH, NH

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Greenville, NH

25 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.

Popular next leg

Greenville, NH to Keene, NH

35 mi · 54m

Pacing Suggestions

Milford, NH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Greenville, NH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.9 miles from Merrimack, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Keene, NH

The final approach into Keene, 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

$8.02 one way

$16.03 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $8.82 $17.64
premium $4.86 $9.54 $19.07
diesel $5.61 $11.00 $21.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$8

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$33–$58

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.9 0 $5.23 $2.39
Efficient EV 12.5 0 $4.36 $1.99
EV Truck/SUV 19.9 0 $6.97 $3.19

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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

Merrimack, NH

Late night in Merrimack on Saturday

Local time

12:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

39°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Keene, NH

Late night in Keene on Saturday

Local time

12:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

28°F

Greenville, NH

25 mi in

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

13 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 30m 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 Merrimack, NH to Keene, NH covers 49.8 miles and takes about 1h 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Main Street, Gibbons Highway, NH 101. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 24.9 miles from Merrimack, NH. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.02 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 49.8 miles you will encounter 8 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 0.2 miles (US 3 / Daniel Webster Highway): Navigation decision point; at 10.2 miles: Navigation decision point; at 30.7 miles (NH 101 / Peterborough Bypass): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

The route from Merrimack, NH to Keene, NH does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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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