Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 15m
Distance
44.6 mi
72 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Salem, NH
Banx Photography
Francestown, NH
www.kaboompics.com
The drive from Salem, NH to Francestown, NH covers 44.6 miles and takes about 1h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 93, River Road, New Boston Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.9 miles on I 93. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.43 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 93 | 14.9 mi | 17m |
| River Road | 4.7 mi | 9m |
| New Boston Road | 4.5 mi | 9m |
| Francestown Road | 4 mi | 7m |
| NH 114 | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| I 293 | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| Mast Road | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| NH 101 | 2.2 mi | 3m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 21 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~4,091 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~221 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 94 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Salem, NH and Francestown, NH.
Start on this road
Turn left onto NH 97
Continue on Pelham Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 93
Take the exit onto I 293
Keep slight left at fork onto NH 101
Continue on NH 114
Turn left onto NH 114
Continue on NH 114
Enter roundabout onto NH 114
Continue on NH 114
Enter roundabout onto NH 13
Continue on NH 13
Continue on NH 13
Continue on NH 13
Turn right onto Depot Street
Turn right onto NH 77
Continue on NH 136
Continue on NH 136
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from Salem, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto NH 97 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp toward I 93 North
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 93
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto I 293 toward I 293 North, NH 101 West: Manchester Airport, Bedford, Manchester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto NH 101 toward NH 101 West: Bedford, Nashua
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$7.43 one way
$14.86 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $8.24 | $16.49 |
| premium | $5.07 | $8.90 | $17.79 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.83 | $19.66 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.68 | $2.14 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.90 | $1.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.8 | 0 | $6.24 | $2.85 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Salem on Wednesday
Local time
6:37 PM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Sunny
Destination
Evening in Francestown on Wednesday
Local time
6:37 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Patchy Fog then Sunny
54°F
Bedford, NH
22 mi in
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.
44.6 mi in 1h 15m — 54% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 93.
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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 NH 97 / Main Street.
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 44.6 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 (NH 97 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (I 93): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
809 ft
Total Descent
249 ft
Highest Point
831 ft
~44.6 mi in
Elevation Range
647 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Salem, NH and Francestown, NH, road signs point toward Bedford, Manchester and Nashua.
Bedford
Manchester
Nashua
Founded 1750
Salem is a city in New Hampshire.
Top landmarks
Founded 1772
Francestown is a town in New Hampshire. The 2010 census put the population at 1562.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 15m. Total distance: 44.6 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 (54%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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