Origin
Maynard, MA
Late night in Maynard on Friday
Local time
5:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Maynard, MA to Waltham, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
23m
Distance
12.9 mi
21 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 28m
10 AM
0h 25m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 25m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Maynard, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 12.9-mile drive from Maynard, MA to Waltham, MA is easily manageable in just 23 minutes, making it an ideal day trip. With a minimal fuel cost of around $2, you won't break the bank on this quick journey. The route primarily utilizes local roads like South Great Road and North Road, with only about 8% highway share. Given its brevity and direct nature, it's perfect for a single outing without the need for an overnight stay. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, keeping the travel context consistent.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 23m. Total distance: 12.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (8%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for most of this 12.9-mile trip. Only a small portion, around 8%, involves highway travel. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 3.3 miles along South Great Road. This profile suggests a route that winds through local communities rather than offering long, open stretches. You'll likely experience frequent turns and changes in speed as you navigate these local roads, so staying attentive is key.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
South Great Road is the longest continuous segment at about 3.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MA 27.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MA 27): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MA 27 / Acton Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MA 27; MA 62 / Waltham Street): Navigation decision point.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 5 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
|
MA 27
Turn right onto MA 27
Navigation decision point
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MA 27 / Acton Street
Continue onto MA 27 / Acton Street
Navigation decision point
3
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MA 27; MA 62 / Waltham Street
Turn left onto MA 27; MA 62 / Waltham Street
Navigation decision point
4
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
3
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
MA 117 / North Road
Turn left onto MA 117 / North Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| South Great Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| North Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| North Avenue | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 2 mi | 3m |
| Fitchburg Turnpike | 1 mi | 1m |
| Waltham Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Acton Court | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| MA 27 | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
South Great Road
— 3.3 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Maynard, MA and Waltham, MA.
1
Start on Acton Court
216 ft
·
11 sec
·
Acton Court
2
Turn right onto MA 27
195 ft
·
16 sec
·
MA 27
3
Continue on MA 27
132 ft
·
6 sec
·
Acton Street
4
Turn left onto MA 27; MA 62
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Waltham Street
5
Continue on North Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Road
6
Turn right
88 ft
·
10 sec
7
Turn left onto MA 117
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
North Road
8
Continue on MA 117
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Fitchburg Turnpike
9
Continue on MA 117
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
South Great Road
10
Continue on MA 117
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
North Avenue
Use the left lane.
11
Continue on MA 117
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
12
Arrive at destination
US 20
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.06 one way
$4.13 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.25 | $4.50 |
| premium | $4.82 | $2.45 | $4.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.85 | $5.70 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.07
Fitchburg Turnpike
(1 mi)
$0.07
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Tolls
$0
Total
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| Efficient EV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.2 | 0 | $1.81 | $0.83 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Waltham, MA
Late night in Waltham on Friday
Local time
5:47 AM
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
8 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
23m 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 Maynard, MA to Waltham, MA covers 12.9 miles and takes about 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are South Great Road, North Road, North Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.4 miles from Maynard, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.06 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 straightforward 23m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MA 27): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MA 27 / Acton Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MA 27; MA 62 / Waltham Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Maynard, MA to Waltham, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Minute Man National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Adams National Historical Park. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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