Origin
Quincy, MA
Afternoon in Quincy on Friday
Local time
12:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Quincy, MA to Cambridge, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
12.3 mi
20 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 24m
★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Quincy, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 12.3-mile drive from Quincy, MA, to Cambridge, MA, is a quick 25-minute trip perfect for a single day. The journey is budget-friendly, with an estimated fuel cost of just $2, and requires no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate via the Southeast Expressway and the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, making up about 51% of the route on highways. This is a straightforward drive within the Northeast region, connecting two points in Massachusetts. It offers a practical and efficient way to travel between these two urban centers without significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 12.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed driving experience on this route, with 51% of it on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.3 miles on the Southeast Expressway, indicating some periods of faster travel. You'll also be on roads like Newport Avenue, suggesting a transition to more local streets as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll experience both the efficiency of highway driving and the more varied conditions of surface streets. The drive offers a dynamic feel, shifting between quicker segments and those requiring more attention to local traffic patterns.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southeast Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 3.3 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 around 0.1 miles in near Hancock Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 12.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Hancock Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Hancock Street
Turn right onto Hancock Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard
Merge onto MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
3.4 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
MA 3A
Take the exit onto MA 3A toward I 93 North, US 1 North: Boston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 93 North, US 1 North: Boston
6
9.9 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MA 28 North: Leverett Circle, North Station
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MA 28 North: Leverett Circle, North Stat...
8
10 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Quincy, MA and Cambridge, MA, road signs point toward Station and Somerville.
Station
9.9 mi in
|
~17m
Somerville
10.4 mi in
|
~19m
|
via MA 28
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Expressway | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| John F. Fitzgerald Expressway | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| Newport Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Cambridge Street | 1.4 mi | 4m |
| Hancock Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| MA 3 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Charles River Dam Road | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| MA 3A | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southeast Expressway
— 3.3 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Quincy, MA and Cambridge, MA.
1
Start on Faxon Avenue
362 ft
·
17 sec
·
Faxon Avenue
2
Turn right onto Coddington Street
265 ft
·
7 sec
·
Coddington Street
3
Turn right onto Hancock Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Hancock Street
Use the right lane.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto Adams Street
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Adams Street
5
Turn right onto Newport Avenue
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Newport Avenue
Use the right lane.
6
Turn slight left onto MA 3A
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Hancock Street
7
Continue on MA 3A
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Neponset Avenue
8
Merge onto MA 3A
247 ft
·
6 sec
·
William T. Morrissey Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
9
Take the exit onto MA 3A
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
MA 3A
Toward I 93 North, US 1 North: Boston
10
Merge onto I 93; US 1; MA 3
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Southeast Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto MA 3
0.5 mi
·
58 sec
·
MA 3
Exit 18
Toward Storrow Drive
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Toward MA 28 North: Leverett Circle, North Station
14
Keep slight left at fork
213 ft
·
9 sec
Toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on MA 28
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Charles River Dam Road
Use the straight lane.
16
Continue on MA 28
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Monsignor O'Brien Highway
Toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway, Somerville
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn left onto Cambridge Street
1.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Cambridge Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18
Turn right onto Line Street
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Line Street
19
Turn left onto Leonard Avenue
460 ft
·
19 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
20
Arrive at destination
Leonard Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.97 one way
$3.94 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.15 | $4.29 |
| premium | $4.82 | $2.34 | $4.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.72 | $5.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.7 | 0 | $1.29 | $0.59 |
| Efficient EV | 3.1 | 0 | $1.08 | $0.49 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Cambridge, MA
Afternoon in Cambridge on Friday
Local time
12:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
25m 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 Quincy, MA to Cambridge, MA covers 12.3 miles and takes about 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Southeast Expressway, John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, Newport Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 6.2 miles from Quincy, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.97 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 12.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Hancock Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Quincy, MA and Cambridge, MA, road signs point toward Station and Somerville.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Adams National Historical Park, Boston 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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