How far is Providence, RI from Bristol, RI?

The driving distance from Providence, RI to Bristol, RI is about 17.5 miles (28.1 km), with a travel time of about 00h 28m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 12.7 miles (20.4 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 56m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
17.47 mi
00h 28m
Flight
12.66 mi
20.37 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Providence.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
12.66 mi
Kilometers
20.37 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
17.47 mi
Kilometers
28.11 km
Drive Time
00h 28m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 28m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Bristol
Thu, Apr 23, 5:47 AM EDT
Return by in Providence
Thu, Apr 23, 6:16 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Providence
2026-04-23T05:19
Arrive Bristol
Thu, Apr 23, 5:47 AM EDT
Route Timing
00h 28m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:28 AM to 7:28 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:34 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Providence
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Barrington
RI

Village in Cook County and Lake County, Illinois, United States

From Providence
8.1 mi
00h 14m
To Bristol
9.3 mi
00h 14m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
Providence Weather
RI
Live fallback forecast
54°F
Thursday
Using Central Falls as the closest live forecast in the Providence County weather hub.

Partly Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
5 to 9 mph NW
Destination
Bristol Weather
RI
Live fallback forecast
53°F
Thursday
Using Warwick as the closest live forecast in the Rhode Island weather hub.

Mostly Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
6 to 9 mph NW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Providence and Bristol.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Providence and Bristol.

  1. 1

    Start on Fulton Street

    31 m · 9 sec · Fulton Street

  2. 2

    Turn left onto Eddy Street

    549 ft · 22 sec · Eddy Street

  3. 3

    At the end of the road, turn left onto Weybosset Street

    788 ft · 24 sec · Weybosset Street

  4. 4

    Turn right onto Custom House Street

    107 m · 17 sec · Custom House Street

  5. 5

    Continue on South Water Street

    1.2 km · 2 min · South Water Street

  6. 6

    Turn slight left

    113 m · 8 sec

  7. 7

    Take the ramp straight toward I 195 East

    1786 ft · 44 sec

  8. 8

    Merge slight left onto Iway

    1508 ft · 32 sec · Iway

  9. 9

    Continue on East Providence Expressway

    1.6 mi · 3 min · East Providence Expressway

  10. 10

    Keep slight left to continue on East Providence Expressway

    5.3 mi · 6 min · East Providence Expressway

  11. 11

    Take the exit slight right toward MA 136: Warren Rhode Island, Newport Rhode Island

    1759 ft · 50 sec

  12. 12

    Turn right onto James Reynolds Road

    1246 ft · 25 sec · James Reynolds Road

  13. 13

    Continue on Market Street

    2.6 mi · 4 min · Market Street

  14. 14

    Continue on Market Street

    59 m · 7 sec · Market Street

  15. 15

    Turn straight onto Kickemuit Road

    1031 ft · 25 sec · Kickemuit Road

  16. 16

    Continue on Arlington Avenue

    2274 ft · 41 sec · Arlington Avenue

  17. 17

    Turn straight onto Metacom Avenue

    3.4 mi · 5 min · Metacom Avenue

  18. 18

    Turn right onto Franklin Street

    1630 ft · 47 sec · Franklin Street

  19. 19

    Turn right

    35 m · 14 sec

  20. 20

    Turn left

    92 m · 22 sec

  21. 21

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Providence and Bristol.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
21 steps
10 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
3
1 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
120 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
East Providence Expressway
6.93 mi · 40%
Metacom Avenue
3.41 mi · 19%
Market Street
2.59 mi · 15%
South Water Street
0.73 mi · 4%
Arlington Avenue
0.43 mi · 2%
I 195 East
0.34 mi · 2%
Longest Stretch

East Providence Expressway

Keep slight left to continue on East Providence Expressway

5.35 mi · 00h 06m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 28m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 56m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+4.8 mi
12.7 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Barrington
00h 14m from Providence
Leave By
7:34 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Partly Sunny leaving Providence and Mostly Sunny near Bristol.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Providence to Bristol?

The road trip is about 17.5 miles (28.1 km) and usually takes 00h 28m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Barrington is a useful midpoint, sitting about 8.1 miles from Providence and 9.3 miles from Bristol.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 12.7 miles (20.4 km), while the road route adds roughly 4.8 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:34 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $2.45 one way or $4.89 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 5.5 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Partly Sunny around Providence and Mostly Sunny near Bristol.

Stop Ideas Near Barrington

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Barrington, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Barrington.

RAIL

Providence station

13 mi away
100 Gaspee Street
RAIL

Kingston station

35 mi away
1 Railroad Avenue
RAIL

Route 128 station

54 mi away
50 University Ave
RAIL

Westerly station

59 mi away
14 Railroad Avenue

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Providence and Bristol. Straight-line distance: 12.66 mi (20.37 km).

Providence

#1 Providence

The capital and most populous city of Rhode Island.

Population179,270
Coordinates41.8239900, -71.4128300
Altitude2
CountryUnited States
Bristol

#2 Bristol

Town in Rhode Island

Population21,866
Coordinates41.6770500, -71.2661600
Altitude35
CountryUnited States
Start: Fulton Street (-71.412652, 41.823861)
End: (-71.266118, 41.677058)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 28 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 34m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 26m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 20m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 17m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 14m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 13m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.62 gal
2.33 L · about $2.45
Round trip
$4.89
1.24 gal · 4.66 L
Estimated CO2
5.5 kg one way
Round trip: 11 kg / 24 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.95 $2.45 $4.89
Mid-grade $4.46 $2.76 $5.53
Premium $4.86 $3.01 $6.02
Diesel $6.00 $3.72 $7.44

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Rhode Island · Apr 23, 2026

There is no time difference between Providence and Bristol. The current time is 05:19:24.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.