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Trip from Somerville, MA to Burlington, MA

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

19m

Distance

10.6 mi

17 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 18m ★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States

Somerville, MA

Wikimedia Commons

town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States

Burlington, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 10.6-mile trip from Somerville, MA, to Burlington, MA, is a quick 19-minute drive perfect for a single day. With no highway driving, expect a local feel throughout, characterized by frequent turns. The estimated fuel cost is a minimal $2, reflecting the short distance. Since it's such a brief journey, it's easily manageable without needing an overnight stay. This route stays within the Northeast region, traversing familiar Massachusetts roads.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 10.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

19m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive on this route. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating through town streets for the entire 10.6 miles. The longest stretch without a significant turn is 2.8 miles along Cambridge Street. This means you'll be constantly adjusting your course rather than settling into a long, straight run. The road's personality is one of constant engagement, requiring your attention as you make your way through local traffic and intersections.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 21 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cambridge Street is the longest continuous segment at about 2.8 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 Highland Avenue.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 11 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 (Highland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Sycamore Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (Winthrop Street): Navigation decision point.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 11 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Highland Avenue

Turn right onto Highland Avenue

Navigation decision point

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Sycamore Street

Turn right onto Sycamore Street

Navigation decision point

5
2.5 mi into trip | ~6m in | Winthrop Street

At end of road, turn right onto Winthrop Street

Navigation decision point

5
2.9 mi into trip | ~7m in | Winthrop Street

Enter roundabout onto Winthrop Street

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

5
10.6 mi into trip | ~19m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Cambridge Street 2.8 mi 4m
Cambridge Road 2 mi 2m
Winthrop Street 1.6 mi 2m
Main Street 1.3 mi 2m
Medford Street 0.9 mi 2m
Bacon Street 0.8 mi 1m
Summer Street 0.4 mi 1m
Church Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Cambridge Street — 2.8 mi, about 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Somerville, MA and Burlington, MA.

1

Start on this road

163 ft · 13 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Highland Avenue

0.1 mi · 30 sec · Highland Avenue
3

Turn right onto Sycamore Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · Sycamore Street
4

Turn left onto Medford Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Medford Street
5

Continue on Medford Street

0.4 mi · 38 sec · Medford Street
6

Continue on Main Street

0.8 mi · 1 min · Main Street
7

Turn left onto Summer Street

0.4 mi · 1 min · Summer Street
8

At end of road, turn right onto Winthrop Street

0.3 mi · 55 sec · Winthrop Street
9

Enter roundabout onto Winthrop Street

117 ft · 2 sec · Winthrop Street
10

Continue on Winthrop Street

1.3 mi · 1 min · Winthrop Street
11

Continue on MA 38

0.5 mi · 46 sec · Main Street
12

Enter roundabout onto Bacon Street

94 ft · 1 sec · Bacon Street
13

Continue on Bacon Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Bacon Street
14

Turn left onto Church Street

0.3 mi · 38 sec · Church Street
15

Turn right onto US 3

1.1 mi · 1 min · Cambridge Street
16

Continue on US 3

2.0 mi · 2 min · Cambridge Road
17

Continue on US 3

0.6 mi · 47 sec · Cambridge Street
18

Continue on MA 3A

1.1 mi · 2 min · Cambridge Street
19

Turn right

33 ft · 7 sec
20

Turn left

93 ft · 6 sec
21

Arrive at destination

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.70 one way

$3.39 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $1.85 $3.70
premium $4.82 $2.01 $4.03
diesel $5.61 $2.34 $4.68

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.7 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 3.2 0 $1.11 $0.51
Efficient EV 2.7 0 $0.93 $0.42
EV Truck/SUV 4.2 0 $1.48 $0.68

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Somerville, MA

Night in Somerville on Thursday

Local time

11:11 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Burlington, MA

Night in Burlington on Thursday

Local time

11:11 PM

EDT

Current temp

41°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

22 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

19m 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 Somerville, MA to Burlington, MA covers 10.6 miles and takes about 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Cambridge Street, Cambridge Road, Winthrop Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.3 miles from Somerville, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $1.70 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 19m drive. You will face about 11 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Highland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Sycamore Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles (Winthrop Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Somerville, MA to Burlington, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Boston National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Adams National Historical Park. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.

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