Origin
City of Manchester, NH
Late night in City of Manchester on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from City of Manchester, NH to Portsmouth, NH
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
59m
Distance
45 mi
72 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
City of Manchester, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Portsmouth, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This efficient 45-mile drive from Manchester, NH to Portsmouth, NH is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking just under an hour to complete. You'll primarily be on NH 101 and the Blue Star Turnpike, with about 89% of the journey on highways, making it a straightforward, highway-focused experience. With an estimated fuel cost of $7, this route is budget-friendly for a quick excursion. Both your starting and ending points are within the Northeast region, offering a seamless transition between familiar New England landscapes. Given its short length and highway profile, this trip is ideal for a spontaneous getaway or a quick transfer.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NH 101 | 30.9 mi | 36m |
| Blue Star Turnpike | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| Market Street | 1 mi | 2m |
| Hanover Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Spruce Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lake Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Belmont Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Tarrytown Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NH 101
— 30.9 mi, about 36m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between City of Manchester, NH and Portsmouth, NH.
1
Start on this road
56 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Summer Street
166 ft
·
9 sec
·
Summer Street
3
Turn right onto Belmont Street
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
Belmont Street
4
Turn left onto Massabesic Street
203 ft
·
17 sec
·
Massabesic Street
5
Turn sharp right onto Spruce Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Spruce Street
6
At end of road, turn left onto Tarrytown Road
292 ft
·
10 sec
·
Tarrytown Road
7
Turn right onto Lake Avenue
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
Lake Avenue
8
Turn straight onto Hanover Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Hanover Street
9
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
Toward NH 101 East
10
Merge onto NH 101
31 mi
·
36 min
·
NH 101
11
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 95: Portsmouth, Boston
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North: Portsmouth, Maine, Pease International Tradeport
13
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
this road
14
Merge onto I 95
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Blue Star Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Blue Star Turnpike
Toward I 95 North: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Maine Points
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 7
Use the slight right lane.
17
Turn right onto Market Street
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Market Street
Use the right lane.
18
At end of road, turn right onto US 1
52 ft
·
1 sec
·
Congress Street
19
Arrive at destination
US 1
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.5 miles from City of Manchester, NH, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 43.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Summer Street
Turn right onto Summer Street
Navigation decision point
7
33.2 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward I 95: Portsmouth, Boston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95: Portsmouth, Boston
6
34 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 North: Portsmouth, Maine, Pease International Tradeport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North: Portsmouth, Maine, Pease Int...
8
41.8 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
I 95 / Blue Star Turnpike
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95 / Blue Star Turnpike toward I 95 North: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Maine Points
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 95 North: Portsmouth, New Hampshire, M...
6
43.7 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 7
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.24 one way
$14.49 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $7.97 | $15.94 |
| premium | $4.86 | $8.62 | $17.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.94 | $19.87 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.63
Blue Star Turnpike
(8.9 mi)
$0.63
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.73 | $2.16 |
| Efficient EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.94 | $1.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18 | 0 | $6.30 | $2.88 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Portsmouth, NH
Late night in Portsmouth on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
60°F
Kensington, NH
23 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
19 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
59m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a predominantly highway experience on this trip, with 89% of the 45 miles taking place on high-speed roads like NH 101 and the Blue Star Turnpike. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 30.9 miles on NH 101, allowing for a consistent pace. This highway-focused profile suggests a drive characterized by efficient travel rather than winding scenic byways. The road's personality is geared towards getting you to your destination smoothly and quickly.
89% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.9 mi on NH 101.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NH 101 and Blue Star Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Summer Street.
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 15 decision points packed into just 45 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Summer Street): Navigation decision point; at 33.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 34 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between City of Manchester, NH and Portsmouth, NH, road signs point toward Boston, Maine, Pease International Tradeport, New Hampshire and Maine Points.
Boston
33.2 mi in
|
~41m
Maine
34 mi in
|
~44m
Pease International Tradeport
34 mi in
|
~44m
New Hampshire
41.8 mi in
|
~54m
|
via I 95
Maine Points
41.8 mi in
|
~54m
|
via I 95
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 45 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (89%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 30.9 miles on NH 101. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.63 in tolls one way, starting with Blue Star Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Portsmouth, NH before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NH can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Summer Street): Navigation decision point; at 33.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 34 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Portsmouth, NH before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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