Origin
Keene, NH
Late night in Keene on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Keene, NH to Amherst, NH
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
1h 14m
Distance
40 mi
64 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Keene, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Amherst, NH
Mohan Nannapaneni
Trip Overview
Keene to Amherst is 40 miles and takes about 1 hour 14 minutes via Main Street and State Route 101, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within New Hampshire, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a straightforward, turn-heavy local journey, making it an easy day trip. You won't encounter major highways for most of the way, so expect a more relaxed pace through local communities. Plan for this to be a short and accessible drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Main Street | 10.7 mi | 21m |
| Gibbons Highway | 9.3 mi | 14m |
| State Route 101 | 4.7 mi | 8m |
| Elm Street | 4.2 mi | 9m |
| Wilton Road | 4 mi | 6m |
| Amherst Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Peterborough Bypass | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Marlboro Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Main Street
— 10.7 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Keene, NH and Amherst, NH.
1
Start on Roxbury Street
33 ft
·
3 sec
·
Roxbury Street
2
Turn right onto Central Square
147 ft
·
3 sec
·
Central Square
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Keep slight left at fork onto Central Square
222 ft
·
6 sec
·
Central Square
4
Continue on Central Square
248 ft
·
7 sec
·
Central Square
5
Continue on Main Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
6
Enter roundabout onto Main Street
123 ft
·
2 sec
·
Main Street
7
Continue on Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
8
Turn left onto NH 101
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
State Route 101
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on NH 101
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Marlboro Street
10
Continue on NH 101
9.9 mi
·
19 min
·
Main Street
11
Continue on NH 101
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
State Route 101
12
Continue on NH 101
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Peterborough Bypass
13
Enter roundabout onto NH 101
78 ft
·
2 sec
·
Peterborough Bypass
14
Continue on NH 101
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Peterborough Bypass
15
Continue on NH 101
4.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Wilton Road
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on NH 101
9.3 mi
·
14 min
·
Gibbons Highway
17
Continue on NH 101
4.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Elm Street
18
Turn left onto NH 13
311 ft
·
6 sec
·
Union Square
19
Turn straight onto NH 13
264 ft
·
8 sec
·
Mont Vernon Road
20
Turn right onto Amherst Street
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Amherst Street
21
Arrive at destination
NH 122
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20 miles from Keene, 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 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 19.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Central Square
Turn right onto Central Square
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Central Square
Keep slight left at fork onto Central Square
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Main Street
Enter roundabout onto Main Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NH 101 / State Route 101
Turn left onto NH 101 / State Route 101
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
19.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
NH 101 / Peterborough Bypass
Enter roundabout onto NH 101 / Peterborough Bypass
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.44 one way
$12.88 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $7.09 | $14.17 |
| premium | $4.86 | $7.66 | $15.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.83 | $17.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12 | 0 | $4.20 | $1.92 |
| Efficient EV | 10 | 0 | $3.50 | $1.60 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16 | 0 | $5.60 | $2.56 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Amherst, NH
Late night in Amherst on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Peterborough, NH
20 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
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
1h 14m 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 route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be navigating through towns and making frequent turns rather than cruising on a long, straight highway. Only about 12% of the drive is on highways, so most of your time will be spent on local roads. The longest stretch without a turn or exit is 10.7 miles on Main Street. As you travel, you'll experience a dynamic road personality, shifting between urban and suburban environments as you follow Main Street, Gibbons Highway, and State Route 101.
Only 12% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on Main Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Central Square.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 14m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Central Square): Lane positioning matters here; near the start (Central Square): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.5 miles (Main Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 40 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 14m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (12%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on Main Street. 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.
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 (Central Square): Lane positioning matters here; near the start (Central Square): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.5 miles (Main Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Amherst, 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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