Origin
Lynn, MA
Night in Lynn on Thursday
Local time
10:16 PM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lynn, MA to Watertown, MA
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
32m
Distance
19.6 mi
31 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lynn, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Watertown, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 19.6-mile drive from Lynn, MA to Watertown, MA is easily manageable in about 32 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll primarily navigate using the Massachusetts Turnpike, North Shore Road, and the Ted Williams Tunnel. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $3, this route is budget-friendly. The drive offers a mixed experience, and since it's so short, there's no need to split it overnight. Both Lynn and Watertown are located within the Northeast region of the US, keeping your travel within familiar territory.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 19.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a drive that's about 48% highway, providing some faster stretches, particularly on the Massachusetts Turnpike. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 8.3 miles on this same highway. This route is characterized as a mixed drive, meaning you'll transition between higher-speed sections and potentially more local road segments as you progress. It's not a monotonous journey, offering a bit of variety in the driving experience without being overly challenging.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 27 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Massachusetts Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 8.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Essex Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Essex Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Essex Street
Turn right onto Essex Street
Navigation decision point
8
8.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike toward I 90 Toll West: Williams Tunnel, Logan Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 90 Toll West: Williams Tunnel, Logan A...
8
18.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Newton, Watertown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 127
Toward Newton, Watertown
7
18.4 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Watertown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Watertown
7
19 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
US 20 / Main Street
Turn sharp left onto US 20 / Main Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. 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 Lynn, MA and Watertown, MA, road signs point toward Logan Airport and Newton.
Logan Airport
8.2 mi in
|
~14m
|
via I 90
Newton
18.1 mi in
|
~29m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 8.3 mi | 12m |
| North Shore Road | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Ted Williams Tunnel | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| McClellan Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Lee Burbank Highway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Lynnway | 1 mi | 1m |
| North Common Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| East Boston Expressway | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Massachusetts Turnpike
— 8.3 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lynn, MA and Watertown, MA.
1
Start on Rogers Avenue
66 ft
·
3 sec
·
Rogers Avenue
2
Turn right onto Essex Street
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Essex Street
3
Continue on North Common Street
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
North Common Street
4
Turn left
75 ft
·
2 sec
5
Turn left onto Market Square
273 ft
·
10 sec
·
Market Square
6
Turn right onto Commercial Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Commercial Street
7
Turn right onto MA 1A
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Lynnway
8
Continue on MA 1A
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
North Shore Road
9
Enter roundabout onto MA 1A
108 ft
·
1 sec
·
Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway
10
Continue on MA 1A
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway
11
Enter roundabout onto MA 1A
377 ft
·
8 sec
·
MA 1A
12
Continue on MA 1A
215 ft
·
7 sec
·
MA 1A
13
Merge onto MA 1A
53 ft
·
1 sec
·
Lee Burbank Highway
14
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 1A
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Lee Burbank Highway
15
Continue on MA 1A
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
McClellan Highway
16
Continue on MA 1A
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
East Boston Expressway
17
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
Toward I 90 Toll West: Williams Tunnel, Logan Airport
Use the slight left lane.
18
Continue on I 90
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Ted Williams Tunnel
19
Continue on I 90
7.5 mi
·
10 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 127
Toward Newton, Watertown
Use the slight right lane.
21
Keep slight right at fork
268 ft
·
8 sec
Toward Watertown
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
22
Turn slight right onto Centre Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Centre Street
23
Continue on Galen Street
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Galen Street
Use the straight lane.
24
Turn sharp left onto US 20
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
25
Turn right onto Church Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Church Street
26
Turn left onto Oliver Street
428 ft
·
19 sec
·
Oliver Street
27
Arrive at destination
Oliver Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.14 one way
$6.27 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $3.42 | $6.84 |
| premium | $4.82 | $3.72 | $7.44 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.33 | $8.65 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.50
Massachusetts Turnpike
(8.3 mi)
$0.50
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$1
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.74 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Watertown, MA
Night in Watertown on Thursday
Local time
10:16 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
9 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
32m 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 Lynn, MA to Watertown, MA covers 19.6 miles and takes about 32m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Massachusetts Turnpike, North Shore Road, Ted Williams Tunnel. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.8 miles from Lynn, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.14 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 14 decision points packed into just 19.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Essex Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.2 miles (I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Lynn, MA and Watertown, MA, road signs point toward Logan Airport and Newton.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Boston National Historical Park, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area and Salem Maritime National Historical Park. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
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