Keene to Mont Vernon is 40.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 17 minutes via Main Street and State Route 101, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Hampshire, making it a straightforward excursion within the Northeast region. The route primarily utilizes surface roads, offering a more local feel rather than high-speed travel. It's a short enough drive to be completed comfortably in a single day, ideal for a quick getaway or an easy transfer between towns.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Main Street
10.7 mi
21m
Gibbons Highway
9.3 mi
14m
State Route 101
4.7 mi
8m
Wilton Road
4 mi
6m
Peterborough Bypass
2.4 mi
4m
North River Road
2.2 mi
5m
South Main Street
2 mi
5m
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 Mont Vernon, 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
1.4 mi·2 min·Elm Street
18
Turn left onto North River Road
0.8 mi·1 min·North River Road
19
Continue on North River Road
1.4 mi·3 min·North River Road
20
Turn left onto Riverlea Road
0.1 mi·30 sec·Riverlea Road
21
Turn left onto Jennison Road
0.3 mi·1 min·Jennison Road
22
Turn right onto Joslin Road
0.4 mi·1 min·Joslin Road
23
Turn left onto NH 13
0.7 mi·1 min·Mont Vernon Street
24
Continue on NH 13
2.0 mi·5 min·South Main Street
25
Arrive at destination
NH 13
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 20.2 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 9
5 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
$6.32 one way
$12.65 round trip
$3.99/gal25.4 MPG avg14 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.48
$7.10
$14.20
premium
$4.81
$7.63
$15.27
diesel
$4.80
$7.61
$15.22
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 64% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
12.1
0
$4.23
$1.93
Efficient EV
10.1
0
$3.53
$1.61
EV Truck/SUV
16.1
0
$5.64
$2.58
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.
Forecast as of Jul 2, 2026
Origin
Keene, NH
Afternoon
in Keene on Sunday
Local time
1:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
99°F
Sunny
NW 0 to 5 mph10% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 2 at 6:40AM EDT until July 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gray ME
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 6:40AM EDT until July 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gray ME
Destination
Mont Vernon, NH
Afternoon
in Mont Vernon on Sunday
Local time
1:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
100°F
Sunny
W 5 to 10 mph6% chanceLive forecast
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 2 at 6:40AM EDT until July 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gray ME
Extreme Heat Warning
Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 6:40AM EDT until July 3 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Gray ME
62°F
Temple, 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
1 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 17m on the road
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 12% of this 40.3-mile drive on highways. The longest continuous stretch on a single road is 10.7 miles on Main Street. The profile is mostly surface roads, meaning you'll encounter more local traffic and intersections than on a pure freeway experience. Expect to navigate through towns and along state routes rather than experiencing long, uninterrupted highway cruising.
Only 12% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
25 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?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Central Square.
Driving Effort5/10
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 40.3 miles you will encounter 9 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; near the start (Central Square): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.5 miles (Main Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 40.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (12%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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 Mont Vernon, NH before heading back.
