Origin
Jamaica Plain, MA
Afternoon in Jamaica Plain on Friday
Local time
2:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jamaica Plain, MA to Somerville, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
7.2 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jamaica Plain, MA
Phil Evenden
Somerville, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Jamaica Plain, MA to Somerville, MA is 7.2 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Jamaicaway/Riverway/Albany Street, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience rather than an open highway cruise. It's a straightforward trip perfect for a quick commute or a brief inter-city excursion, with minimal time commitment and cost.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 22m. Total distance: 7.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This is a turn-heavy local drive with 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 1.5 miles on Jamaicaway. As you transition from Jamaicaway to Riverway and then onto Albany Street, you'll navigate more frequent turns and intersections typical of urban driving. The route is characterized by its local roads, requiring constant attention to traffic signals and lane changes.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Jamaicaway is the longest continuous segment at about 1.5 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Centre Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 7.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Centre Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (MA 2 / Carlton Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 15 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Centre Street
Turn right onto Centre Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Beacon Street, Kenmore Square
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Beacon Street, Kenmore Square
5
3.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
MA 2 / Carlton Street
Turn right onto MA 2 / Carlton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
3.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
MA 2 / Boston University Bridge
Turn right onto MA 2 / Boston University Bridge
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Medford Street
Turn left onto Medford Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Jamaica Plain, MA and Somerville, MA, road signs point toward Kenmore Square and Square.
Kenmore Square
2.9 mi in
|
~8m
Square
3.9 mi in
|
~11m
|
via Brookline Street
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jamaicaway | 1.5 mi | 4m |
| Riverway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Albany Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| McGrath Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Cardinal Medeiros Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Highland Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Waverly Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Portland Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jamaicaway
— 1.5 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica Plain, MA and Somerville, MA.
1
Start on Orchard Street
313 ft
·
13 sec
·
Orchard Street
2
Turn right onto Centre Street
167 ft
·
7 sec
·
Centre Street
3
Turn right onto Arborway
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Arborway
4
Continue on Jamaicaway
1.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Jamaicaway
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Continue on Jamaicaway
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Jamaicaway
6
Continue on Riverway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverway
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
Toward Beacon Street, Kenmore Square
8
Merge onto Park Drive
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Park Drive
9
Continue on MA 2
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Mountfort Street
10
Turn right onto MA 2
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Carlton Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on US 20; MA 2
335 ft
·
15 sec
·
Commonwealth Avenue
Use the slight left lane.
12
Turn right onto MA 2
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Boston University Bridge
Use the right lane.
13
Turn slight right onto Brookline Street
304 ft
·
13 sec
·
Brookline Street
Toward Central Square
14
Turn right onto Waverly Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Waverly Street
15
Continue on Albany Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Albany Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Continue on Portland Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Portland Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Continue on Cardinal Medeiros Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Cardinal Medeiros Avenue
18
At end of road, turn right onto Cambridge Street
47 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cambridge Street
19
Turn left onto Warren Street
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Warren Street
20
Turn left onto Medford Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Medford Street
21
Turn slight right
235 ft
·
12 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Continue on McGrath Highway
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
McGrath Highway
Toward Washington Street
23
Continue on McGrath Highway
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
McGrath Highway
24
Turn left onto Medford Street
332 ft
·
12 sec
·
Medford Street
Use the left lane.
25
Keep slight left at fork onto Highland Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Highland Avenue
26
Turn right
163 ft
·
12 sec
27
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.15 one way
$2.30 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $1.26 | $2.51 |
| premium | $4.82 | $1.37 | $2.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.63 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
Somerville, MA
Afternoon in Somerville on Friday
Local time
2:09 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
1 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
22m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Jamaica Plain, MA to Somerville, MA covers 7.2 miles and takes about 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Jamaicaway, Riverway, Albany Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 3.6 miles from Jamaica Plain, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.15 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 7.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Centre Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (MA 2 / Carlton Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Between Jamaica Plain, MA and Somerville, MA, road signs point toward Kenmore Square and Square.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Boston National Historical Park, Adams National Historical Park and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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