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Trip from Rochester, NH to Atkinson, NH

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 7m

Distance

38 mi

61 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Sparse

1 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m

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

city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States

Rochester, NH

Wikimedia Commons

town in New Hampshire, USA

Atkinson, NH

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Rochester, NH to Atkinson, NH is 38 miles and takes about 1 hour 7 minutes via Calef Highway and NH 125, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within New Hampshire, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local driving experience with frequent turns, making it feel more like navigating through towns than a pure highway cruise. It's a manageable journey, perfect for a quick relocation or a visit to a nearby area without a significant time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Calef Highway 17.8 mi 28m
NH 125 8 mi 14m
Officer Stephen Arkell Memorial Highway 5.9 mi 8m
Gonic Road 1.9 mi 3m
Columbus Avenue 1.6 mi 4m
Academy Avenue 1 mi 3m
Greenough Road 0.7 mi 1m
East Road 0.6 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Calef Highway — 17.8 mi, about 28m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Rochester, NH and Atkinson, NH.

1

Start on this road

55 ft · 6 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Museum Way

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Museum Way
3

Turn right onto NH 125

1.6 mi · 4 min · Columbus Avenue
4

Continue on NH 125

1.9 mi · 3 min · Gonic Road
5

Continue on NH 125

7.7 mi · 12 min · Calef Highway
Use the straight lane.
6

Enter roundabout onto NH 125

165 ft · 4 sec · Calef Highway
7

Continue on NH 125

10 mi · 15 min · Calef Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
8

Continue on NH 125

5.9 mi · 8 min · Officer Stephen Arkell Memorial Highway
Use the straight lane.
9

Continue on NH 125; NH 111; NH 107

8.0 mi · 14 min · NH 125; NH 111; NH 107
Use the left / straight lanes.
10

Turn right onto Jesse George Road

337 ft · 11 sec · Jesse George Road
11

Turn right onto Danville Road

493 ft · 15 sec · Danville Road
12

Turn left onto Greenough Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Greenough Road
13

Continue on Linebrook Road

0.2 mi · 38 sec · Linebrook Road
14

At end of road, turn right onto East Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · East Road
15

Turn left onto Academy Avenue

1.0 mi · 3 min · Academy Avenue
16

Turn left onto Leroy Avenue

126 ft · 5 sec · Leroy Avenue
17

Arrive at destination

Leroy Avenue

Where to Stop

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

town in the U.S. state of New Hampshire

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Epping, NH

19 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

Hampstead, NH

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Epping, NH

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19 miles from Rochester, 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 10

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 36.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Museum Way

Turn right onto Museum Way

Navigation decision point

4
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | NH 125 / Columbus Avenue

Turn right onto NH 125 / Columbus Avenue

Navigation decision point

4
11.3 mi into trip | ~20m in | NH 125 / Calef Highway

Enter roundabout onto NH 125 / Calef Highway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
35.4 mi into trip | ~59m in | Danville Road

Turn right onto Danville Road

Navigation decision point

5
36.4 mi into trip | ~1h 2m in | East Road

At end of road, turn right onto East Road

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.12 one way

$12.23 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $6.73 $13.46
premium $4.86 $7.28 $14.55
diesel $5.61 $8.39 $16.78

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.4 0 $3.99 $1.82
Efficient EV 9.5 0 $3.32 $1.52
EV Truck/SUV 15.2 0 $5.32 $2.43

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Rochester, NH

Night in Rochester on Saturday

Local time

10:46 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Atkinson, NH

Night in Atkinson on Saturday

Local time

10:46 PM

EDT

Current temp

39°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

13 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 7m 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 route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' with only 21% of the journey on highways. You'll spend most of your time on roads like Calef Highway and NH 125, which likely means navigating through more populated areas with traffic lights and intersections. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.8 miles on Calef Highway, so be prepared for frequent adjustments to your speed and direction. The drive progresses by weaving through local New Hampshire landscapes, offering a more grounded experience than a typical interstate trip.

Only 21% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.8 mi on Calef Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Museum Way.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 38 miles you will encounter 10 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: near the start (Museum Way): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (NH 125 / Columbus Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 11.3 miles (NH 125 / Calef Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 38 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (21%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 17.8 miles on Calef Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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: near the start (Museum Way): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (NH 125 / Columbus Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 11.3 miles (NH 125 / Calef Highway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Atkinson, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore more options from Rochester, NH or browse trips ending in Atkinson, NH.

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