Origin
Laconia, NH
Late night in Laconia on Sunday
Local time
12:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Laconia, NH to Dover, NH
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 17m
Distance
46.8 mi
75 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 11m
★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Laconia, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Dover, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a trip from Laconia to Dover, you can expect a manageable 46.8-mile journey through the heart of New Hampshire. Taking about 1 hour and 17 minutes, this drive is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, meaning you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via NH 11, the Spaulding Turnpike, and Cherry Valley Road. Budgeting around $7 for fuel should cover your needs for this transit. Because both cities are located within the Northeast region, the transition between them feels familiar and consistent. It is a straightforward route that offers a practical way to connect these two New Hampshire hubs without the stress of a long-distance haul.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NH 11 | 14.6 mi | 22m |
| Spaulding Turnpike | 8.7 mi | 10m |
| Cherry Valley Road | 7.7 mi | 14m |
| Mount Major Highway | 4.4 mi | 6m |
| Gilford Avenue | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Mt. Major Highway | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| State Route 28 | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Sixth Street | 1.6 mi | 4m |
Longest stretch:
NH 11
— 14.6 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Laconia, NH and Dover, NH.
1
Start on Pleasant Street
208 ft
·
5 sec
·
Pleasant Street
2
Turn slight left onto NH 106
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn right onto Church Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Church Street
Use the right lane.
4
Turn slight left onto NH 11A; NH 107; US 3 Business
504 ft
·
16 sec
·
Union Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Turn right onto NH 11A
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Gilford Avenue
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on NH 11A
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Cherry Valley Road
7
Keep slight right at fork onto NH 11A
5.8 mi
·
10 min
·
Cherry Valley Road
8
Continue on NH 11A
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Mountain Road
9
Continue on NH 11A
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Cherry Valley Road
10
Turn right onto NH 11
4.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Mount Major Highway
11
Continue on NH 11
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Mt. Major Highway
12
Continue on NH 11
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Main Street
13
Turn left onto NH 28A
305 ft
·
9 sec
·
East Side Drive
14
Turn slight right onto Bay Hill Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Bay Hill Road
15
Turn right onto NH 28
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
State Route 28
16
Enter roundabout onto NH 11
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
NH 11
17
Continue on NH 11
14 mi
·
22 min
·
NH 11
Use the left lane.
18
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 15
19
Continue on NH 16 On-Ramp South
0.3 mi
·
25 sec
·
NH 16 On-Ramp South
Exit 15
20
Merge onto NH 16; US 202
8.7 mi
·
10 min
·
Spaulding Turnpike
21
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 9
Toward NH 9, NH 108: Dover, Somersworth
22
At end of road, turn left onto Indian Brook Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Indian Brook Drive
Use the left lane.
23
Turn left onto Sixth Street
1.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Sixth Street
Use the left lane.
24
Turn right onto NH 9; NH 108
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Central Avenue
25
Turn left
114 ft
·
5 sec
Use the straight / left lanes.
26
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.4 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 45 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Church Street
Turn right onto Church Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
NH 11A / Gilford Avenue
Turn right onto NH 11A / Gilford Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
44.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 10m in
Take the exit toward NH 9, NH 108: Dover, Somersworth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 9
Toward NH 9, NH 108: Dover, Somersworth
5
44.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 11m in
|
Indian Brook Drive
At end of road, turn left onto Indian Brook Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
45 mi into trip
|
~1h 12m in
|
Sixth Street
Turn left onto Sixth Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.53 one way
$15.07 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $8.29 | $16.58 |
| premium | $4.86 | $8.96 | $17.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.33 | $20.67 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.61
Spaulding Turnpike
(8.7 mi)
$0.61
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14 | 0 | $4.91 | $2.25 |
| Efficient EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.7 | 0 | $6.55 | $3.00 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Dover, NH
Late night in Dover on Sunday
Local time
12:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Alton, NH
23 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
7 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
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 trip offers a mixed driving profile, balancing local roads with more efficient highway travel. Roughly 54% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a nice contrast to the slower, more winding sections of the trip. Your longest uninterrupted stretch occurs during a 14.6-mile segment on NH 11, which serves as the primary backbone of the drive. As you transition from the local roads onto the Spaulding Turnpike, you will notice the pace pick up significantly. Expect a drive that keeps you engaged, switching between the steady rhythm of the turnpike and the more variable nature of the secondary state routes.
54% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.6 mi on NH 11.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 Church Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 46.8 miles you will encounter 16 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 (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (NH 11A / Gilford Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 44.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
935 ft
66 ft
Total Climb
485 ft
Total Descent
918 ft
Highest Point
935 ft
~10 mi in
Elevation Range
870 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Laconia, NH to Dover, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Somersworth along the way.
Somersworth
44.2 mi in
|
~1h 10m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 46.8 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 (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.6 miles on NH 11. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.61 in tolls one way, starting with Spaulding Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Dover, NH before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: at 0.1 miles (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.6 miles (NH 11A / Gilford Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 44.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dover, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Dover, NH
More trips to Dover, NH
Explore more options from Laconia, NH or browse trips ending in Dover, NH.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NH road trips.