Origin
Cranston, RI
Morning in Cranston on Tuesday
Local time
6:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cranston, RI to Foster, RI
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
19.4 mi
31 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cranston, RI
Wikimedia Commons
Foster, RI
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Cranston, RI to Foster, RI is 19.4 miles and takes about 29 minutes via Hartford Pike/Hartford Avenue/Atwood Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Rhode Island, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local driving experience, as this route has no highway time. It’s a straightforward local connection, perfect for a quick hop between towns without the complexities of major interstates. Given its brevity, this drive is easily manageable for a single day, allowing for plenty of flexibility.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Hartford Pike | 9.9 mi | 14m |
| Hartford Avenue | 4 mi | 5m |
| Atwood Avenue | 3.6 mi | 5m |
| Park Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Phenix Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Hartford Pike
— 9.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cranston, RI and Foster, RI.
1
Start on this road
54 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
2
Turn sharp right onto RI 12
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Park Avenue
3
Continue on RI 12
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
Phenix Avenue
4
Turn right onto RI 5
3.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Atwood Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn left onto US 6A
4.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Hartford Avenue
Use the left lane.
6
Continue on US 6
9.9 mi
·
14 min
·
Hartford Pike
7
Arrive at destination
RI 101
Heads-up: tricky spots
3 of 33 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 5.5 — 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
|
RI 12 / Park Avenue
Turn sharp right onto RI 12 / Park Avenue
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
RI 5 / Atwood Avenue
Turn right onto RI 5 / Atwood Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
5.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 6A / Hartford Avenue
Turn left onto US 6A / Hartford Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.12 one way
$6.25 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $3.44 | $6.87 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.72 | $7.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.28 | $8.57 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.70 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Foster, RI
Morning in Foster on Tuesday
Local time
6:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°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
4 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
29m 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?
This drive is characterized by frequent turns, making it a 'turn-heavy local drive.' With 0% highway share, you'll be navigating primarily surface streets and local roads throughout the 19.4-mile journey. The longest continuous stretch without a significant turn or change in road name is 9.9 miles along Hartford Pike. You’ll likely experience a consistent, local feel for the entire duration, with traffic patterns and speed limits typical of suburban and town driving rather than high-speed travel.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
7 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on Hartford Pike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
1/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near RI 12 / Park Avenue.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Cranston, RI to Foster, RI is easy. At 29m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (RI 12 / Park Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 1.9 miles (RI 5 / Atwood Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles (US 6A / Hartford Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Cranston, RI
Full guide →Cranston is the second largest city in Rhode Island by population with 83,000 residents in 2020. It lies north of Warwick and south of Providence.
Arriving in Foster, RI
Full guide →Foster is a town in Providence County, Rhode Island.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 19.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.9 miles on Hartford Pike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (RI 12 / Park Avenue): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 1.9 miles (RI 5 / Atwood Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles (US 6A / Hartford Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Roger Williams National Memorial and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Foster, RI 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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