Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 20m
Distance
55.5 mi
89 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Laconia, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Chester, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Laconia, NH to Chester, NH is 55.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes via Senator Styles Bridges Highway and Everett Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region, specifically New Hampshire, offering a straightforward journey. It's a practical option if you're looking to cover ground efficiently between these two points without a significant time commitment. The drive is a mix, so expect some highway time and some more local road feel.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Senator Styles Bridges Highway | 15.4 mi | 17m |
| Everett Turnpike | 10.9 mi | 13m |
| I 93 | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Laconia Road | 5 mi | 8m |
| Chester Road | 3.9 mi | 7m |
| Styles Bridges Highway | 3.3 mi | 3m |
| NH 101 | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Chester Street | 2.2 mi | 4m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 17 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,530 veh/hr typical · worst 4,165
Quietest
2 AM
~118 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
29.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Laconia, NH and Chester, NH.
Start on Pleasant Street
Turn slight left onto NH 106
Turn left onto NH 106
Continue on NH 106
Keep slight right at fork onto NH 106
Turn right onto NH 11A; US 3 Business
Continue on US 3; NH 11
Continue on US 3; NH 11
Take the exit
Merge onto I 93
Continue on I 93
Continue on I 93
Continue on I 93
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
Keep slight right at fork onto I 93
Take the exit
Merge onto NH 101
Take the exit
Turn right onto Hooksett Road
Continue on NH 121
Continue on NH 121
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 27.7 miles from Laconia, 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 0.1 and 44 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto NH 106 / Veterans Square
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto NH 106 / Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93 / Everett Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 93 toward I 93 South: Salem, Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward NH 101 East: Seacoast, Portsmouth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$8.71 one way
$17.42 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.48 | $9.78 | $19.56 |
| premium | $4.81 | $10.51 | $21.03 |
| diesel | $4.80 | $10.48 | $20.96 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.76
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$1
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.83 | $2.66 |
| Efficient EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.86 | $2.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.2 | 0 | $7.77 | $3.55 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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 Laconia on Sunday
Local time
5:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Patchy Smoke
Destination
Late night in Chester on Sunday
Local time
5:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Mostly Clear
83°F
Concord, NH
28 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 features a mixed profile, with 34% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on Senator Styles Bridges Highway, Everett Turnpike, and I-93, contributing to the highway share. The longest uninterrupted drive on a single road is 15.4 miles along Senator Styles Bridges Highway. As you progress, the road will shift between faster-paced highway sections and potentially more varied, local road conditions, giving you a dynamic driving experience.
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 around 0.1 miles in near NH 106 / Veterans Square.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.5 miles you will encounter 12 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: at 0.1 miles (NH 106 / Veterans Square): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (NH 106 / Main Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 36.3 miles (I 93 / Everett Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
418 ft
Total Descent
453 ft
Highest Point
498 ft
Elevation Range
265 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Laconia, NH and Chester, NH, road signs point toward Boston, Portsmouth and Auburn.
Boston
Portsmouth
Auburn
Founded 1855
Laconia is a city of 17,000 people (2020) in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. It includes the villages of Lakeport and Weirs Beach.
Top landmarks
Founded 1722
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 20m. Total distance: 55.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). 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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