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Trip from Merrimack, NH to Barrington, NH

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

Drive Time

1h 12m

Distance

48.4 mi

78 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m

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

Downtown Barrington, NH, NH

Barrington, NH

Mohan Nannapaneni

Trip Overview

The drive from Merrimack, NH to Barrington, NH covers 48.4 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on NH 101, Calef Highway, I 293 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.1 miles on NH 101. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.79 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 12m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (52%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

The drive from Merrimack, NH to Barrington, NH covers 48.4 miles and takes about 1h 12m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 17 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 19.1 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 4.2 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

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

7
4.2 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the ramp toward Concord, Nashua

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward Concord, Nashua
6
4.7 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Bedford, Manchester

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Bedford, Manchester
5
6.8 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward I 293 South, NH 101 East: Exeter, Portsmouth

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

Toward I 293 South, NH 101 East: Exeter, Portsm...
7
12 mi into trip | ~21m in | NH 101

Keep slight right at fork onto NH 101 toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 7 Toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast
8
31.1 mi into trip | ~43m 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

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Merrimack, NH and Barrington, NH, road signs point toward Concord, Nashua, Bedford, Manchester, Portsmouth and Seacoast - among others.

Concord

4.2 mi in | ~9m

Nashua

4.2 mi in | ~9m

Bedford

4.7 mi in | ~10m

Manchester

4.7 mi in | ~10m

Portsmouth

6.8 mi in | ~13m

Seacoast

12 mi in | ~21m | via NH 101

Kingston

31.1 mi in | ~43m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NH 101 19.1 mi 22m
Calef Highway 14.2 mi 22m
I 293 4.6 mi 6m
Daniel Webster Highway 3.8 mi 8m
Franklin Pierce Highway 2.9 mi 5m
Everett Turnpike 1.3 mi 1m
South River Road 0.4 mi <1m
Raymond Wieczorek Drive 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: NH 101 — 19.1 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Loop Road

83 ft · 5 sec · Loop Road
2

Turn straight onto US 3

3.8 mi · 8 min · Daniel Webster Highway
Use the left lane.
3

Continue on US 3

0.4 mi · 45 sec · South River Road
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward Concord, Nashua Use the right lane.
5

Merge onto Raymond Wieczorek Drive

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Raymond Wieczorek Drive
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Toward Bedford, Manchester
7

Merge onto Everett Turnpike

1.3 mi · 1 min · Everett Turnpike
8

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 293 South, NH 101 East: Exeter, Portsmouth
9

Merge onto I 293; NH 101

4.6 mi · 6 min · I 293; NH 101
10

Keep slight right at fork onto NH 101

19 mi · 22 min · NH 101
Exit 7 Toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 36 sec
Exit 7 Toward NH 125: Epping, Kingston Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn left onto NH 125

9.7 mi · 14 min · Calef Highway
Use the straight lane.
13

Enter roundabout onto NH 125

171 ft · 5 sec · Calef Highway
14

Continue on NH 125

4.4 mi · 7 min · Calef Highway
15

Turn left onto NH 9

2.7 mi · 5 min · Franklin Pierce Highway
Use the straight lane.
16

Keep slight left at fork onto NH 9

0.1 mi · 12 sec · Franklin Pierce Highway
17

Arrive at destination

NH 9

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 24.2 mi from Merrimack, NH · 35m into the drive

town in the U.S. state of New Hampshire

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Epping, NH

24 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

City of Manchester, NH

Fuel and coffee

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

Fremont, NH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Merrimack, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Barrington, NH

The final approach into Barrington, 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

$7.79 one way

$15.58 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $8.57 $17.15
premium $4.86 $9.27 $18.54
diesel $5.61 $10.69 $21.37

Estimated Tolls: $0.09

Everett Turnpike (1.3 mi) $0.09

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

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$0

Total

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 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 14.5 0 $5.08 $2.32
Efficient EV 12.1 0 $4.23 $1.94
EV Truck/SUV 19.4 0 $6.78 $3.10

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

Morning in Merrimack on Saturday

Local time

9:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

39°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Barrington, NH

Morning in Barrington on Saturday

Local time

9:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°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

14 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 12m 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 Barrington, NH covers 48.4 miles and takes about 1h 12m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are NH 101, Calef Highway, I 293. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 24.2 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 $7.79 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 48.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Merrimack, NH and Barrington, NH, road signs point toward Concord, Nashua, Bedford, Manchester, Portsmouth and Seacoast - among others.

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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