Origin
Rockland, MA
Morning in Rockland on Sunday
Local time
7:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockland, MA to New Bedford, 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 3m
Distance
41.7 mi
67 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockland, MA
Wikimedia Commons
New Bedford, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to get from Rockland to New Bedford, this 43-mile journey serves as a straightforward one-day trip. You can expect to spend about an hour on the road, making it an ideal candidate for a quick excursion rather than an overnight stay. With a fuel budget of approximately $7, the drive is quite economical for a solo traveler or a small group. Since the route avoids highways entirely, you will be navigating local roads for the duration of the trip. Both towns are located within the Northeast region, keeping the journey consistent in terms of climate and overall atmosphere.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MA 140 | 15.9 mi | 18m |
| Amvets Highway | 6.8 mi | 7m |
| South Bedford Street | 6.2 mi | 11m |
| Pleasant Street | 3.3 mi | 6m |
| Purchase Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Centre Avenue | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Broad Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Mount Pleasant Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
MA 140
— 15.9 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockland, MA and New Bedford, MA.
1
Start on Reed Street
99 ft
·
6 sec
·
Reed Street
2
Turn right onto Union Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Union Street
3
Turn right onto MA 123; MA 139
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Market Street
4
Continue on MA 123
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Centre Avenue
5
Turn left onto MA 123
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Washington Street
6
At end of road, turn left onto MA 18
200 ft
·
3 sec
·
Bedford Street
7
Continue on MA 18
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
Washington Street
8
Continue on MA 18
6.2 mi
·
11 min
·
South Bedford Street
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on MA 18
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Broad Street
10
Continue on MA 18; MA 28; MA 104
0.1 mi
·
9 sec
·
Central Square
11
Continue on MA 104
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
South Street
12
Turn right onto MA 104
3.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Pleasant Street
13
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward MA 24 South: Taunton
14
Merge onto MA 24
6.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Amvets Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 17A
Toward MA 140 South: New Bedford
Use the right lane.
16
Turn straight onto MA 140
16 mi
·
18 min
·
MA 140
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 4
Toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Turn left onto Mount Pleasant Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Mount Pleasant Street
19
Turn left onto Nauset Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Nauset Street
20
Continue on Purchase Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Purchase Street
21
Continue on Pleasant Street
432 ft
·
10 sec
·
Pleasant Street
22
Continue on Sixth Street
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Sixth Street
23
Turn left onto Market Street
237 ft
·
15 sec
·
Market Street
24
Turn left onto Pleasant Street
172 ft
·
3 sec
·
Pleasant Street
25
Arrive at destination
Pleasant Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 41.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.9 miles from Rockland, 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 0.6 and 41.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
MA 123; MA 139 / Market Street
Turn right onto MA 123; MA 139 / Market Street
Navigation decision point
5
15 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
MA 24 / Amvets Highway
Merge onto MA 24 / Amvets Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
21.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Take the exit toward MA 140 South: New Bedford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 17A
Toward MA 140 South: New Bedford
8
38 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Take the exit toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 4
Toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road
5
41.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
|
Market Street
Turn left onto Market Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.67 one way
$13.35 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $7.28 | $14.56 |
| premium | $4.82 | $7.92 | $15.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.21 | $18.41 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.38 | $2.00 |
| Efficient EV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.65 | $1.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.84 | $2.67 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Destination
New Bedford, MA
Morning in New Bedford on Sunday
Local time
7:51 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny
SW 8 mph
8% 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
22 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 3m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this 100% local road experience keeps you moving through various town centers and residential stretches. Because the highway share is zero, you should prepare for frequent speed changes and the stop-and-go nature of navigating regional thoroughfares. The route relies on Union Street, Market Street, and Centre Avenue, offering a more hands-on driving experience than a typical highway cruise. You will find that the lack of long, uninterrupted stretches makes the 43-mile distance feel like a continuous, engaging transition between these two Massachusetts locations.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.9 mi on MA 140.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near MA 123; MA 139 / Market Street.
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 41.7 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 0.6 miles (MA 123; MA 139 / Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 15 miles (MA 24 / Amvets Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving 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.
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 3m. Total distance: 41.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). 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 15.9 miles on MA 140. 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.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (MA 123; MA 139 / Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 15 miles (MA 24 / Amvets Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, Adams National Historical Park and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (6 total within detour distance). 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 New Bedford, 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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