Trip from New Bedford, MA to Palmer, MA

Drive Time

2h 5m

Distance

100 mi

161 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$16

one way

EV Charging

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 27 min

4 AM

1h 57m ★

6 AM

2h 6m

8 AM

2h 24m

10 AM

2h 12m

12 PM

2h 10m

3 PM

2h 13m

5 PM

2h 23m

8 PM

2h 1m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

Google Maps Waze Apple Maps

Download GPX

New Bedford, MA

Phil Evenden

Palmer, MA

Alexey Demidov

Trip Overview

The drive from New Bedford, MA to Palmer, MA covers 100 miles and takes about 2h 5m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Massachusetts Turnpike, I 195, Providence Pike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 30.9 miles on Massachusetts Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $15.92 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.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

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

Midpoint

50 miles from New Bedford, MA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 2m into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 2h 5m highway drive covering 100 miles, with most of the trip on Massachusetts Turnpike and I 195. The longest continuous stretch is about 30.9 miles on Massachusetts Turnpike.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 33 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Massachusetts Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 30.9 miles.

Elevation Profile

Gently rolling terrain

816 ft 22 ft

Total Climb

1,115 ft

Total Descent

831 ft

Highest Point

816 ft

~87.5 mi in

Elevation Range

794 ft

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Massachusetts Turnpike and I 195. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.6 miles in near I 195.

Route Complexity 9/10

High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day

This is a demanding drive. With 22 significant decision points across 100 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: at 12.6 miles (I 195): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.9 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 30 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 22 key points

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

12.6 mi into trip | ~16m in | I 195

Keep slight left at fork onto I 195

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

29.9 mi into trip | ~38m in | US 6

Keep slight right at fork onto US 6 toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachusetts

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachuse...

30 mi into trip | ~39m in | US 6

Keep slight left at fork onto US 6 toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachusetts

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

Toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachuse...

31.1 mi into trip | ~40m in

Keep slight right at fork toward RI 146 North: State Offices

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 38A-B Toward RI 146 North: State Offices

39.5 mi into trip | ~49m in | RI 146 / Eddie Dowling Highway

Keep slight left at fork onto RI 146 / Eddie Dowling Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from New Bedford, MA to Palmer, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Springfield along the way.

Springfield

65.9 mi in | ~1h 22m

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Massachusetts Turnpike	30.9 mi	35m
I 195	28.1 mi	35m
Providence Pike	7.7 mi	8m
Eddie Dowling Highway	7.5 mi	8m
Worcester Providence Road	7 mi	9m
North Smithfield Expressway	5.7 mi	6m
Old Louisquisset Pike	3 mi	3m
Worcester-Providence Turnpike	1.8 mi	2m

Longest stretch: Massachusetts Turnpike — 30.9 mi, about 35m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between New Bedford, MA and Palmer, MA.

Start on Pleasant Street

0.3 mi · 32 sec · Pleasant Street

Continue on Purchase Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · Purchase Street

Turn left onto Linden Street

0.1 mi · 28 sec · Linden Street

Turn right onto County Street

0.3 mi · 35 sec · County Street

Turn left onto Cedar Grove Street

0.1 mi · 15 sec · Cedar Grove Street

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 14 sec

Toward I 195 West: Fall River

Merge onto I 195

11 mi · 13 min · I 195

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto I 195

17 mi · 22 min · I 195

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight right at fork onto US 6

0.1 mi · 16 sec · US 6

Toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachusetts Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto US 6

1.0 mi · 1 min · US 6

Toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachusetts

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95

0.1 mi · 12 sec · I 95

Keep slight right at fork

0.7 mi · 45 sec

Exit 38A-B Toward RI 146 North: State Offices Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on RI 146

3.0 mi · 3 min · Old Louisquisset Pike

Exit 38A Toward RI 146 North: Woonsocket Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on RI 146

4.7 mi · 5 min · Eddie Dowling Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Keep slight left at fork onto RI 146

2.8 mi · 2 min · Eddie Dowling Highway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on RI 146

5.7 mi · 6 min · North Smithfield Expressway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Continue on MA 146

0.2 mi · 17 sec · Purple Heart Highway

Continue on MA 146

7.7 mi · 8 min · Providence Pike

Continue on MA 146

0.3 mi · 18 sec · Purple Heart Highway

Continue on MA 146

7.0 mi · 9 min · Worcester Providence Road

Continue on MA 146

0.9 mi · 1 min · Purple Heart Highway

Continue on MA 146

1.8 mi · 2 min · Worcester-Providence Turnpike

Take the exit

0.5 mi · 1 min

Toward I 90, US 20: Boston, Springfield

Turn left

0.3 mi · 45 sec

Toward I 90

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min

Toward I 90 West

Merge onto I 90

15 mi · 17 min · Massachusetts Turnpike

Keep slight left at fork onto I 90

16 mi · 18 min · Massachusetts Turnpike

Use the straight lane.

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 2 min

Exit 63 Toward MA 32: Palmer, Ware

Turn right onto MA 32

0.7 mi · 1 min · Thorndike Street

Use the right lane.

Turn left onto US 20; MA 32

0.2 mi · 13 sec · Park Street

Turn right onto Walnut Street

341 ft · 17 sec · Walnut Street

Turn right onto Pleasant Street

455 ft · 19 sec · Pleasant Street

Arrive at destination

Pleasant 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 50 miles from New Bedford, MA, or about 1h 2m into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 30.9 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 80 miles or 1h 40m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 50 miles or 1h 2m 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 43m

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

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving New Bedford, MA 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 New Bedford, MA

This is one driving day of about 100 miles and 2h 5m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from New Bedford, MA.

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 Massachusetts Turnpike for about 30.9 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 50 mi from New Bedford, MA · 1h 2m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Brookhaven, NY

50 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

Brookhaven, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Brookhaven, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 50 miles from New Bedford, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Palmer, MA

The final approach into Palmer, MA 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 Palmer, MA.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$15.92 one way

$31.83 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 35 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.40	$17.31	$34.62
premium	$4.80	$18.89	$37.79
diesel	$5.64	$22.22	$44.43

Estimated Tolls: $1.98

Massachusetts Turnpike (30.9 mi) $1.85

Worcester-Providence Turnpike (1.8 mi) $0.13

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

$16

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$43–$68

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 35 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	30	$10.50	$4.80
Efficient EV	25	$8.75	$4.00
EV Truck/SUV	40	$14.00	$6.40

Gas CO2

35 kg

EV CO2

12 kg (66% 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 3 years ago

Origin

New Bedford, MA

Afternoon in New Bedford on Sunday

Local time

4:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Palmer, MA

Afternoon in Palmer on Sunday

Local time

4:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

49°F

Brookhaven, NY

50 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

2 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

2h 5m 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 New Bedford, MA to Palmer, MA covers 100 miles and takes about 2h 5m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Massachusetts Turnpike, I 195, Providence Pike. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 50 miles from New Bedford, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $15.92 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.