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Trip from Merrimack, NH to Candia, NH

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

36m

Distance

22.2 mi

36 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$4

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 9 min
4 AM
0h 34m ★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

town in New Hampshire, United States

Merrimack, NH

Wikimedia Commons

town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States of America

Candia, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Merrimack, NH to Candia, NH covers 22.2 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on NH 101, I 293, Daniel Webster Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 6.3 miles on NH 101. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.57 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
NH 101 6.3 mi 7m
I 293 4.6 mi 6m
Daniel Webster Highway 3.8 mi 8m
Old Candia Road 1.5 mi 2m
Everett Turnpike 1.3 mi 1m
Deerfield Road 1 mi 2m
South River Road 0.4 mi <1m
Old Deerfield Road 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: NH 101 — 6.3 mi, about 7m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Merrimack, NH and Candia, NH.

1

Start on Loop Road

83 ft · 5 sec · Loop Road
2

Turn straight onto US 3

3.8 mi · 8 min · Daniel Webster Highway
Use the left lane.
3

Continue on US 3

0.4 mi · 45 sec · South River Road
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward Concord, Nashua Use the right lane.
5

Merge onto Raymond Wieczorek Drive

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Raymond Wieczorek Drive
6

Keep slight right at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Toward Bedford, Manchester
7

Merge onto Everett Turnpike

1.3 mi · 1 min · Everett Turnpike
8

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 293 South, NH 101 East: Exeter, Portsmouth
9

Merge onto I 293; NH 101

4.6 mi · 6 min · I 293; NH 101
10

Keep slight right at fork onto NH 101

6.3 mi · 7 min · NH 101
Exit 7 Toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast
11

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 3 Toward NH 43: Candia, Deerfield
12

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 25 sec
13

Turn straight onto NH 43

1.5 mi · 2 min · Old Candia Road
14

Turn straight onto NH 43

0.2 mi · 32 sec · Main Street
15

Continue on NH 43

1.0 mi · 2 min · Deerfield Road
16

Turn right onto Old Deerfield Road

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Old Deerfield Road
17

Arrive at destination

Old Deerfield Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.2 and 18.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
4.2 mi into trip | ~9m in

Take the ramp toward Concord, Nashua

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward Concord, Nashua
6
4.7 mi into trip | ~10m in

Keep slight right at fork toward Bedford, Manchester

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Bedford, Manchester
5
6.8 mi into trip | ~13m in

Take the exit toward I 293 South, NH 101 East: Exeter, Portsmouth

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 293 South, NH 101 East: Exeter, Portsm...
7
12 mi into trip | ~21m in | NH 101

Keep slight right at fork onto NH 101 toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 7 Toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast
6
18.3 mi into trip | ~29m in

Take the exit toward NH 43: Candia, Deerfield

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 3 Toward NH 43: Candia, Deerfield

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.57 one way

$7.15 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 8 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $3.93 $7.86
premium $4.86 $4.25 $8.50
diesel $5.61 $4.90 $9.80

Estimated Tolls: $0.09

Everett Turnpike (1.3 mi) $0.09

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Tolls

$0

Total

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 7.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 6.7 0 $2.33 $1.07
Efficient EV 5.6 0 $1.94 $0.89
EV Truck/SUV 8.9 0 $3.11 $1.42

Gas CO2

8 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (63% 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 Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Merrimack, NH

Afternoon in Merrimack on Sunday

Local time

12:12 PM

EDT

Current temp

39°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Candia, NH

Afternoon in Candia on Sunday

Local time

12:12 PM

EDT

Current temp

61°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

22 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

36m 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?

22.2 mi in 36m — 55% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: NH 101.

55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.3 mi on NH 101.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 4.2 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 22.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Merrimack, NH and Candia, NH, road signs point toward Concord, Nashua, Bedford, Manchester, Portsmouth and Seacoast - among others.

Concord

4.2 mi in | ~9m

Nashua

4.2 mi in | ~9m

Bedford

4.7 mi in | ~10m

Manchester

4.7 mi in | ~10m

Portsmouth

6.8 mi in | ~13m

Seacoast

12 mi in | ~21m | via NH 101

Deerfield

18.3 mi in | ~29m

About the Cities

Starting in Merrimack, NH

Full guide →

Merrimack is a city in the Merrimack Valley of New Hampshire.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 22.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 6.3 miles on NH 101. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.09 in tolls one way, starting with Everett 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 Candia, 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 4.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.8 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 Candia, 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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