Origin
New Bedford, MA
Late night in New Bedford on Sunday
Local time
12:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Bedford, MA to Dennis, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
53.5 mi
86 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 9m
★
6 AM
1h 15m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 19m
12 PM
1h 18m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 26m
8 PM
1h 12m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Bedford, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Dennis, MA
Italo Melo
Trip Overview
New Bedford to Dennis is 53.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via Mid Cape Highway and I-195, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Massachusetts, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Expect a mixed drive that combines some highway travel with other road types. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing for flexibility in your departure time and plenty of opportunity to enjoy your destination without feeling rushed. It’s a straightforward journey perfect for a quick getaway.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mid Cape Highway | 16.7 mi | 22m |
| I 195 | 14.3 mi | 17m |
| MA 25 | 9.6 mi | 11m |
| Main Street | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| Sandwich Road Connector | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Willow Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Route 6A | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| MA 28 | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Mid Cape Highway
— 16.7 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Bedford, MA and Dennis, MA.
1
Start on Pleasant Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Pleasant Street
2
Turn right onto Hillman Street
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Hillman Street
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward MA 18 North
4
Merge onto MA 18
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
John F. Kennedy Highway
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 195 East: Cape Cod
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Merge onto I 195
14 mi
·
17 min
·
I 195
7
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
Exit 40A
Toward MA 25 East: Cape Cod
8
Merge onto MA 25
9.6 mi
·
11 min
·
MA 25
9
Continue on MA 28
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
MA 28
10
Enter roundabout onto Sandwich Road Connector
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Sandwich Road Connector
11
Continue on Sandwich Road Connector
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Sandwich Road Connector
12
Turn right onto Mid-Cape Connector
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Mid-Cape Connector
Use the left / straight lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
14
Merge onto US 6
17 mi
·
22 min
·
Mid Cape Highway
Use the slight right lane.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Exit 72
Toward Yarmouthport, West Yarmouth
16
Turn right onto Willow Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Willow Street
17
At end of road, turn right onto MA 6A
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Main Street
18
Continue on MA 6A
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Route 6A
19
Turn right
193 ft
·
14 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from New Bedford, MA, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 47.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward MA 18 North
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Toward MA 18 North
6
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward I 195 East: Cape Cod
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 195 East: Cape Cod
6
16 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MA 25 East: Cape Cod
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Exit 40A
Toward MA 25 East: Cape Cod
5
29.9 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
Mid-Cape Connector
Turn right onto Mid-Cape Connector
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
47.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
Take the exit toward Yarmouthport, West Yarmouth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 72
Toward Yarmouthport, West Yarmouth
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.56 one way
$17.12 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $9.34 | $18.67 |
| premium | $4.82 | $10.16 | $20.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.81 | $23.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.62 | $2.57 |
| Efficient EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.4 | 0 | $7.49 | $3.42 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Dennis, MA
Late night in Dennis on Sunday
Local time
12:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°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
1 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 15m 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 drive offers a mixed experience, with 48% of the route on highways. You'll encounter stretches on I-195 and MA 25, offering faster travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch spans 16.7 miles on the Mid Cape Highway, providing a good opportunity to settle into a rhythm. As you progress, the character of the drive shifts, moving from primary highway segments to potentially more varied road conditions as you approach your destination. This blend ensures the journey isn't monotonous, offering a dynamic driving experience.
48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.7 mi on Mid Cape Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.5 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.5 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.5 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
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 New Bedford, MA and Dennis, MA, road signs point toward Yarmouthport and Yarmouth.
Yarmouthport
47.3 mi in
|
~1h 3m
Yarmouth
47.3 mi in
|
~1h 3m
About the Cities
Starting in New Bedford, MA
Full guide →New Bedford is in Massachusetts on the southern coast. New Bedford's excellent harbor made it a natural fishing and whaling center. It was the world's premier whaling port in the 19th century, and, for a time, "the richest city in the world" and "the city that lit the world" because of whale oil production. New Bedford neighbor Acushnet is the birthplace of the Titleist golf ball.
Arriving in Dennis, MA
Full guide →Dennis is in Massachusetts on Cape Cod. It includes the villages of Dennis Port, East Dennis, South Dennis, and West Dennis. Dennis bills itself as the "Cultural Center of Cape Cod", and perhaps rightly so. It boasts the Cape Cod Museum of Art, the Cape Playhouse, and some really excellent art and craft galleries.
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 15m. Total distance: 53.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.7 miles on Mid Cape Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Dennis, MA 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles: Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 1.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 16 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes — New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, Cape Cod National Seashore and Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dennis, MA 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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