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Trip from Portsmouth, NH to Suncook, NH

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 11m

Distance

50.5 mi

81 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 6m ★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States

Portsmouth, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Suncook, NH, NH

Suncook, NH

Lam Kiên

Trip Overview

Portsmouth, NH to Suncook, NH is 50.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 11 minutes via Exeter-Hampton Expressway and I-95, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within New Hampshire, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. You'll mostly be on highways for this relatively short drive. It’s a straightforward connection that can easily be completed in a single day. Consider this an efficient way to get between these two points without extensive travel time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Exeter-Hampton Expressway 29 mi 33m
I 95 8.8 mi 10m
Londonderry Turnpike 4 mi 7m
Hooksett Road 3.9 mi 8m
Pleasant Street 1.1 mi 2m
Market Street 1 mi 2m
Main Street 0.8 mi 2m
Hanover Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Exeter-Hampton Expressway — 29 mi, about 33m

Traffic on I-95

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 19 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

3 PM

~3,314 veh/hr typical · worst 4,729

Quietest

2 AM

~196 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

16.9×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Portsmouth, NH and Suncook, NH.

1

Start on US 1

406 ft · 15 sec · Congress Street
2

Turn right onto Fleet Street

462 ft · 17 sec · Fleet Street
Use the right lane.
3

Turn right onto Hanover Street

0.1 mi · 26 sec · Hanover Street
4

At end of road, turn left onto Market Street

1.0 mi · 2 min · Market Street
Use the left lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 95 South: Hampton, Boston Use the left lane.
6

Merge onto I 95

8.8 mi · 10 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 2 Toward NH 101: Hampton, Manchester Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Toward 101 West: Manchester, Concord, Exeter
9

Merge onto NH 101

29 mi · 33 min · Exeter-Hampton Expressway
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Exit 1 Toward NH 28 Bypass: Auburn, Hooksett
11

Turn right onto NH 28 Bypass

4.0 mi · 7 min · Londonderry Turnpike
12

Turn right onto US 3; NH 28

3.9 mi · 8 min · Hooksett Road
Use the right lane.
13

Turn slight left onto Pleasant Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · Pleasant Street
14

Continue on Main Street

0.8 mi · 2 min · Main Street
15

Turn left

44 ft · 3 sec
16

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Candia, NH

25 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

North Hampton, NH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Epping, NH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.3 miles from Portsmouth, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 11 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Fleet Street

Turn right onto Fleet Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
7
0.3 mi into trip | ~0m in | Market Street

At end of road, turn left onto Market Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
7
1.3 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the ramp toward I 95 South: Hampton, Boston

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward I 95 South: Hampton, Boston
8
10.4 mi into trip | ~15m in

Take the exit toward NH 101: Hampton, Manchester

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 2 Toward NH 101: Hampton, Manchester
6
11 mi into trip | ~16m in

Keep slight right at fork toward 101 West: Manchester, Concord, Exeter

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward 101 West: Manchester, Concord, Exeter

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.93 one way

$17.85 round trip

$4.49/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.92 $9.78 $19.56
premium $5.29 $10.52 $21.03
diesel $5.35 $10.64 $21.27

Estimated Tolls: $0.28

Londonderry Turnpike (4 mi) $0.28

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Tolls

$0

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.2 0 $5.30 $2.42
Efficient EV 12.6 0 $4.42 $2.02
EV Truck/SUV 20.2 0 $7.07 $3.23

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (67% 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.

Forecast as of May 6, 2026

Origin

Portsmouth, NH

Afternoon in Portsmouth on Wednesday

Local time

3:54 PM

EDT

Current temp

55°F

Mostly Cloudy

SW 5 to 10 mph 5% chance Live forecast

Destination

Suncook, NH

Afternoon in Suncook on Wednesday

Local time

3:54 PM

EDT

Current temp

55°F

Mostly Cloudy

S 5 to 10 mph 9% chance 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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

Road read

1h 11m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is predominantly highway, with 83% of the route on major roads. You'll experience a significant stretch of 29 miles on the Exeter-Hampton Expressway before transitioning to other highways. Expect a dense sequence of exits and merges as you navigate the highway system for most of the trip. The final portion of your drive will involve leaving the highway and transitioning to surface roads.

83% 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: 29 mi on Exeter-Hampton Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Exeter-Hampton Expressway and I 95. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Fleet Street.

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 50.5 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.1 miles (Fleet Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Market Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

385 ft 30 ft

Total Climb

385 ft

Total Descent

146 ft

Highest Point

385 ft

~36.1 mi in

Elevation Range

355 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Portsmouth, NH and Suncook, NH, road signs point toward Manchester, 101 West: Manchester, Concord, Exeter and Hooksett.

Manchester

10.4 mi in | ~15m

101 West: Manchester

11 mi in | ~16m

Concord

11 mi in | ~16m

Exeter

11 mi in | ~16m

Hooksett

40.4 mi in | ~50m

About the Cities

Starting in Portsmouth, NH

Full guide →

Founded 1630

Portsmouth is the third oldest city in the USA and is prominent in New Hampshire's seacoast region.

Top landmarks

  • USS Albacore — 1953 research submarine
  • Portsmouth African Burying Ground — Memorial park in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
  • Governor John Langdon House — house in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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 11m. Total distance: 50.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (83%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 29 miles on Exeter-Hampton Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.28 in tolls one way, starting with Londonderry 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.

Yes — we found about 7 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Suncook, 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 0.1 miles (Fleet Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.3 miles (Market Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Suncook, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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