Origin
Stratham Station, NH
Morning in Stratham Station on Sunday
Local time
11:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stratham Station, NH to Rochester, NH
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
28.3 mi
45 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Fair
2 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rochester, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Stratham Station to Rochester is 28.3 miles and takes about 45 minutes via Spaulding Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays within New Hampshire, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive that gets you from point A to point B without much fuss. Given its short duration, it's ideal for a same-day excursion, making it easy to fit into a busy schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Spaulding Turnpike | 19 mi | 25m |
| Portsmouth Avenue | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Greenland Road | 2.7 mi | 5m |
| Columbus Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Depot Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Old Dover Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Exit 11 | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Blue Star Turnpike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Spaulding Turnpike
— 19 mi, about 25m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stratham Station, NH and Rochester, NH.
1
Start on Depot Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Depot Road
2
Turn left onto Sandy Point Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Sandy Point Road
3
Turn left onto NH 33
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Portsmouth Avenue
4
Turn straight onto NH 33
2.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Greenland Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 95 North
Use the right lane.
6
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
this road
Toward I 95 North
7
Merge onto I 95
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Blue Star Turnpike
8
Keep slight left at fork onto Spaulding Turnpike
19 mi
·
25 min
·
Spaulding Turnpike
Exit 4
Toward US 4, NH 16: New Hampshire Lakes, White Mountains
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
9
Take the exit onto Exit 11
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Exit 11
Exit 11
Toward Old Dover Road, Rochester
10
Turn left onto Old Dover Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Dover Road
11
Turn right onto NH 125
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Columbus Avenue
12
Turn left onto NH 202A
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
South Main Street
13
Turn right onto Museum Way
120 ft
·
5 sec
·
Museum Way
14
Turn right
55 ft
·
4 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.9 and 28.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
NH 33 / Portsmouth Avenue
Turn left onto NH 33 / Portsmouth Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
6.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 North
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward I 95 North
9
7.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Spaulding Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto Spaulding Turnpike toward US 4, NH 16: New Hampshire Lakes, White Mountains
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 4
Toward US 4, NH 16: New Hampshire Lakes, White...
6
26.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Exit 11
Take the exit onto Exit 11 toward Old Dover Road, Rochester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 11
Toward Old Dover Road, Rochester
4
28.2 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.56 one way
$9.11 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $5.01 | $10.03 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.42 | $10.84 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.25 | $12.50 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.33
Spaulding Turnpike
(19 mi)
$1.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Rochester, NH
Morning in Rochester on Sunday
Local time
11:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
52°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m 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 mostly highway, with 68% of the driving on elevated roads. You'll encounter a continuous stretch of 19 miles on the Spaulding Turnpike before transitioning to surface streets. Expect frequent exits as you navigate this section, typical of a heavily trafficked corridor. The latter part of the drive will be on Portsmouth Avenue and Greenland Road.
68% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19 mi on Spaulding Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Spaulding Turnpike and Portsmouth Avenue. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.9 miles in near NH 33 / Portsmouth Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 28.3 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 0.9 miles (NH 33 / Portsmouth Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 6.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (Spaulding Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Stratham Station, NH to Rochester, NH, road signs begin pointing toward White Mountains along the way.
White Mountains
7.3 mi in
|
~14m
|
via Spaulding Turnpike
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 28.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19 miles on Spaulding Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.33 in tolls one way, starting with Spaulding 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 1 rest area or service plaza 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 Rochester, 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 0.9 miles (NH 33 / Portsmouth Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 6.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles (Spaulding Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Rochester, 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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