Origin
Merrimack, NH
Late night in Merrimack on Wednesday
Local time
3:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Merrimack, NH to Hampton, NH
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
46.9 mi
76 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 0m
★
6 AM
1h 5m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 9m
5 PM
1h 15m
8 PM
1h 2m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Merrimack, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Hampton, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Merrimack, NH to Hampton, NH covers 46.9 miles and takes about 1h 5m 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 mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 33.6 miles on NH 101. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.81 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| NH 101 | 33.6 mi | 39m |
| I 293 | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Daniel Webster Highway | 3.8 mi | 8m |
| Everett Turnpike | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Lafayette Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| South River Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Raymond Wieczorek Drive | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Loop Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
NH 101
— 33.6 mi, about 39m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Merrimack, NH and Hampton, 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
34 mi
·
39 min
·
NH 101
Exit 7
Toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
Toward US 1: Hampton, Seabrook
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn straight onto US 1
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Lafayette Road
Use the straight lane.
13
Turn left
388 ft
·
30 sec
14
Turn left
66 ft
·
11 sec
15
Turn left
259 ft
·
18 sec
16
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 23.5 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 4.2 and 45.6 — 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...
9
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. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 7
Toward NH 101 East: Portsmouth, Seacoast
5
45.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Turn slight right toward US 1: Hampton, Seabrook
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward US 1: Hampton, Seabrook
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.81 one way
$15.62 round trip
$4.23/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $8.67 | $17.34 |
| premium | $5.07 | $9.35 | $18.71 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $10.34 | $20.68 |
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
$8
Tolls
$0
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.1 | 0 | $4.92 | $2.25 |
| Efficient EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.10 | $1.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.57 | $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
Hampton, NH
Late night in Hampton on Wednesday
Local time
3:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Road read
1h 5m 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?
46.9 mi in 1h 5m, mostly highway — 33.6 mi of that is on NH 101.
84% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33.6 mi on NH 101.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on NH 101 and I 293. 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
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 46.9 miles you will encounter 13 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 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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
422 ft
40 ft
Total Climb
291 ft
Total Descent
409 ft
Highest Point
422 ft
~20.1 mi in
Elevation Range
382 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.
Between Merrimack, NH and Hampton, NH, road signs point toward Concord, Nashua, Bedford, Manchester, Portsmouth and Seacoast.
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
About the Cities
Starting in Merrimack, NH
Full guide →Founded 1673
Merrimack is a city in the Merrimack Valley of New Hampshire.
Arriving in Hampton, NH
Full guide →Hampton is a city in New Hampshire along the coast. It includes the small village of Hampton Beach, a popular tourist spot.
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 1h 5m. Total distance: 46.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 33.6 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 Hampton, 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 Hampton, 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.
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