Salem, NH to Woodstock, NH is 95.8 miles and takes about 1h 54m via Styles Bridges Highway and I 93, with a fuel budget near $16 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays entirely within New Hampshire, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Given the relatively short distance and manageable drive time, this route is well-suited for a single-day excursion. You'll experience a mix of highway cruising and surface roads as you make your way north.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
47.9 miles from Salem, NH
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Styles Bridges Highway
55.5 mi
1h
I 93
24.4 mi
29m
Everett Turnpike
10.2 mi
12m
Main Street
2.1 mi
5m
Daniel Webster Highway
1.7 mi
3m
Sen Styles Bridges Highway
0.7 mi
<1m
Pelham Road
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Styles Bridges Highway
— 55.5 mi, about 1h
Traffic on I-93
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 71 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,384 veh/hr typical
· worst 4,031
Quietest
2 AM
~131 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
25.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 101 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 Salem, NH and Woodstock, NH.
1
Start on this road
113 ft·13 sec·this road
2
Turn left onto NH 97
2.1 mi·5 min·Main Street
3
Continue on Pelham Road
0.2 mi·31 sec·Pelham Road
4
Take the ramp
0.6 mi·1 min
Toward I 93 NorthUse the right lane.
5
Merge onto I 93
17 mi·20 min·I 93
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
7.1 mi·8 min·I 93
Toward I 93 North: Concord, Plymouth
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
10 mi·12 min·Everett Turnpike
8
Continue on I 93
17 mi·19 min·Styles Bridges Highway
9
Continue on I 93
0.7 mi·46 sec·Sen Styles Bridges Highway
10
Continue on I 93
39 mi·41 min·Styles Bridges Highway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi·1 min
Exit 30Toward US 3: Woodstock, Thornton
12
Turn left onto US 3
1.7 mi·3 min·Daniel Webster Highway
13
Arrive at destination
US 3
Trip Plan
Since this is a fairly short drive at under two hours, you have flexibility with your departure time. Leaving in the morning will give you plenty of daylight to reach Woodstock and explore. Consider breaking up the drive with a brief stop if you prefer, though it's not strictly necessary given the duration. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, with an estimated cost of $16 for this trip. A good strategy is to fill up before you leave Salem to ensure you have a full tank for the entire route.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 47.9 miles from Salem, NH, or about 1h into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 55.5 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 21 miles or 28m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 47.9 miles or 1h in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 33m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Woodstock, NH than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Salem, NH so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Salem, NH
This is one driving day of about 95.8 miles and 1h 54m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 21 miles from Salem, NH.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Styles Bridges Highway for about 55.5 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 93.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip|~0m in|NH 97 / Main Street
Turn left onto NH 97 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.3 mi into trip|~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 93 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 93 North
5
2.9 mi into trip|~7m in|I 93
Merge onto I 93
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
20.2 mi into trip|~27m in|I 93
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93 toward I 93 North: Concord, Plymouth
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 93 North: Concord, Plymouth
6
93.7 mi into trip|~1h 50m in
Take the exit toward US 3: Woodstock, Thornton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 30
Toward US 3: Woodstock, Thornton
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$15.96 one way
$31.92 round trip
$4.23/gal25.4 MPG avg34 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.70
$17.71
$35.42
premium
$5.07
$19.11
$38.21
diesel
$5.60
$21.12
$42.23
Estimated Tolls: $0.71
Everett Turnpike
(10.2 mi)$0.71
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$16
Tolls
$1
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$42–$67
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 33.5 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $10 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
28.7
0
$10.06
$4.60
Efficient EV
24
0
$8.38
$3.83
EV Truck/SUV
38.3
0
$13.41
$6.13
Gas CO2
34 kg
EV CO2
11 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Aug 26, 2026
Origin
Salem, NH
Late night
in Salem on Wednesday
Local time
3:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Sunny
W 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Woodstock, NH
Late night
in Woodstock on Wednesday
Local time
3:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Patchy Fog then Sunny
NW 0 to 5 mph1% chanceLive forecast
76°F
Concord, NH
48 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
5 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 54m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
About 36% of this drive is on highways, meaning you'll have stretches of faster travel. The longest continuous segment on highway is 55.5 miles on Styles Bridges Highway. After this, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of your trip. Expect to notice more frequent exits and merges on the highway portions, followed by a change in pace on the surface roads.
36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 55.5 mi on Styles Bridges Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near NH 97 / Main Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 54m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
715 ft130 ft
Total Climb
723 ft
Total Descent
138 ft
Highest Point
715 ft
~95.8 mi in
Elevation Range
585 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Salem, NH to Woodstock, NH, road signs begin pointing toward Plymouth along the way.
The longest stretch is about 55.5 miles on Styles Bridges Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.71 in tolls one way, starting with Everett 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. 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 (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.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Woodstock, NH before heading back.
