Rochester and other communities in Strafford County, enjoy the benefits of major transportation systems for both business, residents and travelers. The greater Rochester area offers easy access by air, water, rail or road. The Spaulding Turnpike (Route 16) which runs from Portsmouth and heads north through Rochester intersects with Interstate 95, a super highway which runs from Maine's Canadian border to the tip of Florida. These highway systems provide easy access to and from the area for the transportation of products and goods and offer easy routes to the lakes and mountain regions of New Hampshire. Route 202 provides a direct westerly route to Concord and an easterly route to Portland, Maine. Also running from Rochester, Route 125 connects with Route 101 offering connections to Manchester.
|
Easy access of rail provides an alternative means for manufacturers to transport their products and raw materials. Amtrak provides a north-south commuter train running from Portland to Boston with stops in the Dover and Exeter.
|
The rivers and ocean have played an important role in the growth of Rochester and surrounding communities, acting both as a resource for food and commerce. In the early years, flat bottom "gundalows", packards and clipper ships carried raw materials and products up and down the rivers from the harbor in Portsmouth to the manufacturing communities of Dover, Rochester and Somersworth. The rivers and deep water Port of New Hampshire, located in Portsmouth, just 20 miles from Rochester, are also instrumental in the region's growth. Barges and container ships arrive daily, transporting imports and exports to and from area manufacturers. Plans are currently underway to dredge the Cocheco River, which runs from the Atlantic Ocean to Rochester. This vibrant river was once used heavily for commercial transportation until a major flood filled in some of the river with sediment and debris. The dredging of this river will allow deep river traffic to flow from Portsmouth to Dover's historic waterfront.
|
Rochester is also easily accessible by air. Pease International Tradeport, a former air base located in Newington, is within 20 miles of Rochester. The Tradeport is a success story as many companies have now located at the Tradeport entailing a wide range of business use. Pease International Airport which is located at the Tradeport features the fourth largest runway in the country, provides fixed base operator servicing the general aviation aircraft, corporate aircraft hangers. The terminal is complete with jetway, baggage carousel and passenger screening including agricultural, customs and immigration.
|
Skyhaven Airport, which borders Rochester and Somersworth, provides full service maintenance and pilot supplies. Public and private flight services are available from this airport which abuts Rochester's Granite State Industrial Park.
|
Bus service provides daily interstate service from the region to points all over New England. C & J Trailways with a hub at Pease is used to shuttle commuters from stops in Portsmouth to points south in Boston including Logan International Airport, South Station and downtown. Greyhound and Vermont Transit Lines offer daily stops in nearby Portsmouth.
|
|
COAST (Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation) is the public, non-profit system that provides mass public transportation in Strafford and Rockingham counties. COAST connects Rochester with surrounding communities and the seacoast. Schedules for bus lines are available at the Chamber of Commerce.
|
|
C & J Trailways
(603) 742-5111
|
Enterprise Rent-a-Car
(603) 332-5667
|
Feliciano Limousine Service
(603) 332-3641
|
New Hampshire State Port Authority
(603) 436-8500
|
Manchester International Airport
(603) 624-6539
|
Pease International Tradeport
(603) 433-6088
|
Skyhaven Airport
(603) 332-0005
|
|
