Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 58m
Distance
81.5 mi
131 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dover, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Thornton, NH
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Dover, NH to Thornton, NH covers 81.5 miles and takes about 1h 58m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Styles Bridges Highway, New Hampshire Route 140, Spaulding Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 31.3 miles on Styles Bridges Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.58 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.
Midpoint
40.8 miles from Dover, NH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 8m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Styles Bridges Highway | 31.3 mi | 33m |
| New Hampshire Route 140 | 10 mi | 17m |
| Spaulding Turnpike | 8.5 mi | 10m |
| Henry Wilson Highway | 6.2 mi | 8m |
| NH Route 11 | 6.1 mi | 9m |
| Frank C. Gilman Highway | 3.7 mi | 6m |
| Depot Street | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Farmington Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~1,425 veh/hr typical · worst 2,068
Quietest
2 AM
~39 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
36.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 100 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Dover, NH and Thornton, NH.
Start on this road
Turn sharp left onto NH 9; NH 108
Turn straight onto NH 9; NH 108
Turn left onto Indian Brook Drive
Take the ramp
Merge onto NH 16
Take the exit
Turn left onto NH 11
Continue on NH 11
Continue on NH 11
Enter roundabout onto NH 11; NH 28A
Continue on NH 11; NH 28A
Turn left onto NH 140
Continue on Frank C. Gilman Highway
Continue on NH 140
Continue on NH 140
Continue on NH 140
Continue on NH 140
Turn right onto NH 140
Continue on NH 140
Continue on this road
Merge onto I 93
Take the exit
At end of road, turn left onto US 3
Arrive at destination
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.
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 18 miles or 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 40.8 miles or 1h 8m 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 44m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Thornton, NH than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Dover, NH so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Dover, NH
This is one driving day of about 81.5 miles and 1h 58m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
41 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.
A short stop after about 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 40.8 miles from Dover, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 79.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn sharp left onto NH 9; NH 108 / Main Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Turn left onto Indian Brook Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Take the ramp toward Spaulding Turnpike North, NH 16 North: Rochester
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NH 11 West: Farmington, Alton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward US 3: Thornton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Regular Gas
$13.58 one way
$27.15 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $15.06 | $30.13 |
| premium | $5.07 | $16.26 | $32.51 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $17.97 | $35.93 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.59
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
$14
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24.5 | 0 | $8.56 | $3.91 |
| Efficient EV | 20.4 | 0 | $7.13 | $3.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 32.6 | 0 | $11.41 | $5.22 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Dover on Wednesday
Local time
4:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Thornton on Wednesday
Local time
4:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Mostly Cloudy then Areas Of Fog
73°F
Alton, NH
41 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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
81.5 mi in 1h 58m — 31% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Styles Bridges Highway.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near NH 9; NH 108 / Main Street.
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 81.5 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: near the start (NH 9; NH 108 / Main Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 2 miles (Indian Brook Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,075 ft
Total Descent
537 ft
Highest Point
776 ft
~58.2 mi in
Elevation Range
710 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Dover, NH to Thornton, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Alton along the way.
Alton
Founded 1623
Dover is a city in New Hampshire, United States. Settled in 1623, it pre-dates the founding of America and is the 7th oldest city in the country.
Top landmarks
Founded 1763
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 58m. Total distance: 81.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
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 FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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