Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 17m
Distance
89.1 mi
143 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Merrimack, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Effingham, NH
Mohan Nannapaneni
The drive from Merrimack, NH to Effingham, NH covers 89.1 miles and takes about 2h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on NH 101, Calef Highway, Province Lake Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.1 miles on NH 101. At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.84 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
44.5 miles from Merrimack, NH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 5m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NH 101 | 19.1 mi | 22m |
| Calef Highway | 17.4 mi | 27m |
| Province Lake Road | 15.9 mi | 29m |
| Spaulding Turnpike | 14.4 mi | 18m |
| White Mountain Highway | 7 mi | 10m |
| I 293 | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Daniel Webster Highway | 3.8 mi | 8m |
| Gonic Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
Step-by-step road directions between Merrimack, NH and Effingham, NH.
Start on Loop Road
Turn straight onto US 3
Continue on US 3
Take the ramp
Merge onto Raymond Wieczorek Drive
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto Everett Turnpike
Take the exit
Merge onto I 293; NH 101
Keep slight right at fork onto NH 101
Take the exit
Turn left onto NH 125
Enter roundabout onto NH 125
Continue on NH 125
Continue on NH 125
Take the exit onto NH 16 Onramp North
Merge onto NH 16
Continue on NH 16
Turn right onto Wakefield Road
Turn sharp left onto NH 153
Turn right onto Plantation Road
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 20 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 44.5 miles or 1h 5m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 52m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Effingham, NH than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Merrimack, NH so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Merrimack, NH
This is one driving day of about 89.1 miles and 2h 17m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
45 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 20 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 44.5 miles from Merrimack, 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 4.2 and 31.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the ramp toward Concord, Nashua
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Bedford, Manchester
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
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
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
Take the exit toward NH 125: Epping, Kingston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$14.84 one way
$29.68 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $16.47 | $32.94 |
| premium | $5.07 | $17.77 | $35.54 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $19.64 | $39.28 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.10
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$41–$66
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 31.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 26.7 | 0 | $9.36 | $4.28 |
| Efficient EV | 22.3 | 0 | $7.80 | $3.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 35.6 | 0 | $12.47 | $5.70 |
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
10 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 Merrimack on Wednesday
Local time
4:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Effingham on Wednesday
Local time
4:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Mostly Cloudy then Patchy Fog
77°F
Rochester, NH
45 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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.
89.1 mi in 2h 17m — 45% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: NH 101.
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.
High effort - long or complex enough to need steady focus all day
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 17 significant decision points across 89.1 miles, you will need to stay alert - especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
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.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,025 ft
Total Descent
582 ft
Highest Point
773 ft
~76.4 mi in
Elevation Range
629 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Merrimack, NH and Effingham, NH, road signs point toward Bedford, Manchester, Portsmouth, Seacoast and Kingston.
Bedford
Manchester
Portsmouth
Seacoast
Kingston
Founded 1673
Merrimack is a city in the Merrimack Valley of New Hampshire.
Founded 1778
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 17m. Total distance: 89.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (45%). 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, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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