Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 55m
Distance
79.5 mi
128 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
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
Sandwich, NH
Alex Ravvas
The drive from Merrimack, NH to Sandwich, NH covers 79.5 miles and takes about 1h 55m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Styles Bridges Highway, Everett Turnpike, NH 104 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 30 miles on Styles Bridges Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.24 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
39.8 miles from Merrimack, NH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 53m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Styles Bridges Highway | 30 mi | 33m |
| Everett Turnpike | 21.4 mi | 26m |
| NH 104 | 8.3 mi | 12m |
| Whittier Highway | 6.4 mi | 13m |
| Daniel Webster Highway | 4.7 mi | 10m |
| Whittier Street | 3.1 mi | 6m |
| Holland Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Wentworth Hill Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 26 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,426 veh/hr typical · worst 4,106
Quietest
2 AM
~109 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
31.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 101 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Merrimack, NH and Sandwich, 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
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
Continue on I 93
Continue on I 93
Continue on I 93
Take the exit
Turn right onto NH 104
Continue on NH 104
Turn left onto US 3
Turn slight right
Turn right onto NH 25
Continue on NH 25
Continue on NH 25
Turn left onto NH 109
Continue on NH 109
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 17 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 39.8 miles or 53m 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 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Sandwich, NH than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Merrimack, NH so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Merrimack, NH
This is one driving day of about 79.5 miles and 1h 55m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
40 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 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 39.8 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 67.2 — 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 NH 104, NH 132: Meredith, New Hampton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto NH 104
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto NH 25 / Winnipesaukee Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$13.24 one way
$26.49 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $14.69 | $29.39 |
| premium | $5.07 | $15.86 | $31.71 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $17.52 | $35.05 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.50
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
$13
Tolls
$2
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 27.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 23.9 | 0 | $8.35 | $3.82 |
| Efficient EV | 19.9 | 0 | $6.96 | $3.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 31.8 | 0 | $11.13 | $5.09 |
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 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
2:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Late night in Sandwich on Wednesday
Local time
2:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Cloudy
77°F
New Hampton, NH
40 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.
79.5 mi in 1h 55m — 37% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Styles Bridges Highway.
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.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 79.5 miles you will encounter 11 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 57.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,213 ft
Total Descent
593 ft
Highest Point
778 ft
~79.5 mi in
Elevation Range
621 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Merrimack, NH and Sandwich, NH, road signs point toward Concord, Nashua, Bedford, Manchester and New Hampton.
Concord
Nashua
Bedford
Manchester
New Hampton
Founded 1673
Merrimack is a city in the Merrimack Valley of New Hampshire.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 55m. Total distance: 79.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). 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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