Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
29.5 mi
48 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bristol, RI
Wikimedia Commons
Exeter, RI
Wikimedia Commons
Bristol, RI to Exeter, RI is 29.5 miles and takes about 50 minutes via RI 138, RI 114, and Col Rodman Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short hop stays within Rhode Island, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given the relatively brief travel time and the mix of road types, this route is best suited for a single-day trip. It offers a straightforward way to get from one part of the state to another without significant time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| RI 138 | 8.8 mi | 12m |
| RI 114 | 6.4 mi | 14m |
| Col Rodman Highway | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Ten Rod Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Metacom Avenue | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Bristol Ferry Road | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Mount Hope Bridge | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| JT Connell Highway | 0.9 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Bristol, RI and Exeter, RI.
Start on this road
Turn right
Turn left onto Franklin Street
Turn right onto RI 136
Continue on RI 136
Turn straight onto RI 114
Continue on RI 114
Keep slight right at fork onto RI 114
Turn right onto RI 114
Take the ramp onto RI 114
Turn right onto RI 138
Continue on RI 138
Enter roundabout onto RI 138A
Continue on RI 138A
Take the ramp
Merge onto RI 138
Take the exit
Merge onto US 1
Turn straight onto RI 4
Take the exit onto RI 4
Turn straight onto RI 2
Turn left onto RI 102
Continue on RI 2; RI 102
Turn right onto New Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 26.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Franklin Street
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward US 1 North: Providence
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto RI 4 toward RI 2, RI 102: Exeter, Wickford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$5.21 one way
$10.43 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $5.71 | $11.42 |
| premium | $5.29 | $6.14 | $12.29 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $6.21 | $12.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.58 | $1.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Bristol on Wednesday
Local time
3:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Exeter on Wednesday
Local time
3:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
You'll spend about half the drive on highways, with 53% of the 29.5 miles on routes like RI 138 and Col Rodman Highway. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 8.8 miles along RI 138. Expect a transition from more substantial roadways to surface streets as you approach your destination. The latter part of the drive will likely involve more local traffic and intersections.
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 0.1 miles in.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 29.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Franklin Street): Navigation decision point; at 14 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
544 ft
Total Descent
356 ft
Highest Point
272 ft
~29.5 mi in
Elevation Range
272 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Bristol, RI to Exeter, RI, road signs begin pointing toward Wickford along the way.
Wickford
Founded 1680
Bristol is a quintessential New England waterfront town. Part of the East Bay communities along with Warren and Barrington, it is on a peninsula in Rhode Island surrounded by Narragensett and Mount Hope Bays. This coastal community has a rich 325-year history and hosts the oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration in the United States. The town has plentiful year-round recreational activities, and a spectacular waterfront that provides beautiful views and many water sports. The town has not lost its historic "Main Street America" feel with many stately homes, tree-lined streets and old-town store fronts.
Top landmarks
Exeter is a small, spread-out town in southwestern Rhode Island. Exeter is noted by folklorists as the site of one of the best documented examples of vampire exhumation: the Mercy Brown Vampire Incident of 1892.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 29.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (53%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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