Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 29m
Distance
61.1 mi
98 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Keene, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Loudon, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Keene to Loudon is 61.1 miles and takes about 1 hour 29 minutes via Franklin Pierce Highway and I-89, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Hampshire, moving you from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. The route offers a mix of highway cruising and surface roads, making for a straightforward drive. It's a good option for a day trip or as a segment of a larger New England adventure.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Franklin Pierce Highway | 19.5 mi | 26m |
| Route 9 | 11.8 mi | 16m |
| I 89 | 8.3 mi | 10m |
| Keene Road | 5.7 mi | 8m |
| I 393 | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| West Main Street | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Everett Turnpike | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Washington Street | 1.6 mi | 4m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 3 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,385 veh/hr typical · worst 2,924
Quietest
1 AM
~85 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
28.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 51 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Keene, NH and Loudon, NH.
Start on Roxbury Street
Turn right onto Central Square
Keep slight right at fork onto Washington Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto NH 9; NH 10
Continue on NH 9
Continue on NH 9
Continue on NH 9
Continue on NH 9
Continue on NH 9
Continue on NH 9; NH 31
Turn straight onto NH 9
Merge onto I 89
Turn left onto NH 3A
Continue on NH 3A
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 93
Continue on I 93
Take the exit
Merge onto I 393; US 4; US 202
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto NH 106
Continue on NH 106
Continue on NH 106
Continue on NH 106
Turn left onto South Village Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 30.5 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 57.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Central Square
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 89
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 393 East, US 4 East, US 202 East: Loudon, Portsmouth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NH 106: Laconia, Pembroke
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$10.80 one way
$21.60 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $11.83 | $23.66 |
| premium | $5.29 | $12.72 | $25.45 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $12.87 | $25.74 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.12
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Tolls
$0
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.3 | 0 | $6.42 | $2.93 |
| Efficient EV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.35 | $2.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.4 | 0 | $8.55 | $3.91 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (67% 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
Evening in Keene on Wednesday
Local time
5:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Patchy Fog
Destination
Evening in Loudon on Wednesday
Local time
5:48 PM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Patchy Frost then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
68°F
Bennington, NH
31 mi in
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.
This drive is about 44% highway, with the remaining miles on surface roads. You'll encounter your longest stretch of continuous driving on Franklin Pierce Highway for 19.5 miles. Expect some rural cruising as you transition between the highway sections and the surface roads. The mix means you'll get both faster travel and a more local feel.
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 early in the drive near Central Square.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.1 miles you will encounter 14 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 (Central Square): Lane positioning matters here; at 42.2 miles (I 89): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 53.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,241 ft
Total Descent
1,343 ft
Highest Point
1,425 ft
~13.1 mi in
Elevation Range
1,179 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Keene, NH and Loudon, NH, road signs point toward Portsmouth and Pembroke.
Portsmouth
Pembroke
Founded 1736
Keene is a city in southern New Hampshire.
Top landmarks
Founded 1773
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 29m. Total distance: 61.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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