Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
61.8 mi
99 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Bedford, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Northbridge, MA
Italo Melo
New Bedford, MA to Northbridge, MA is 61.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 21 minutes via I-195 and Eddie Dowling Highway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a mix of highway cruising and surface roads as you make your way inland. With a recommended one-day trip, this route is ideal for a straightforward drive between these two locations.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 195 | 28.1 mi | 35m |
| Eddie Dowling Highway | 7.5 mi | 8m |
| Providence Pike | 7.3 mi | 8m |
| North Smithfield Expressway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Old Louisquisset Pike | 3 mi | 3m |
| Providence Road | 2.1 mi | 5m |
| Church Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Lackey Dam Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 82 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,647 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~170 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
21.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between New Bedford, MA and Northbridge, MA.
Start on Pleasant Street
Continue on Purchase Street
Turn left onto Linden Street
Turn right onto County Street
Turn left onto Cedar Grove Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 195
Keep slight left at fork onto I 195
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
Keep slight right at fork
Continue on RI 146
Continue on RI 146
Keep slight left at fork onto RI 146
Continue on RI 146
Continue on MA 146
Continue on MA 146
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto Lackey Dam Road
Continue on Douglas Road
Continue on Douglas Road
Turn right onto Main Street
Turn slight left onto Church Street
Turn left onto MA 122
Turn right onto Beanes Lane
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 30.9 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 12.6 and 55.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork onto I 195
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto US 6 toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachusetts
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto US 6 toward I 95 North, US 6 West: Boston Massachusetts
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward RI 146 North: State Offices
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward Lackey Dam Road, Douglas, Northbridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$10.96 one way
$21.92 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.90 | $11.92 | $23.83 |
| premium | $5.29 | $12.87 | $25.75 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $13.02 | $26.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.5 | 0 | $6.49 | $2.97 |
| Efficient EV | 15.5 | 0 | $5.41 | $2.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.7 | 0 | $8.65 | $3.96 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Afternoon in New Bedford on Wednesday
Local time
4:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Afternoon in Northbridge on Wednesday
Local time
4:52 PM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
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.
This drive is about 57% highway, with the longest continuous stretch on I-195 covering 28.1 miles. After leaving I-195, you'll transition to surface roads like Eddie Dowling Highway and Providence Pike. You'll likely notice a change in pace as you exit the interstate, moving from faster highway speeds to more typical surface street traffic with more frequent intersections.
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 12.6 miles in near I 195.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.8 miles you will encounter 18 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 12.6 miles (I 195): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.9 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 30 miles (US 6): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
638 ft
Total Descent
435 ft
Highest Point
497 ft
~53 mi in
Elevation Range
475 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from New Bedford, MA to Northbridge, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Douglas along the way.
Douglas
Founded 1640
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.
Top landmarks
Founded 1704
Milford is a city in Blackstone Valley.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 21m. Total distance: 61.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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