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Trip from Winchendon, MA to Cambridge, MA

Last recalculated Apr 15, 2026

Drive Time

1h 30m

Distance

61.1 mi

98 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 21 min
4 AM
1h 24m ★
6 AM
1h 31m
8 AM
1h 45m
10 AM
1h 36m
12 PM
1h 34m
3 PM
1h 36m
5 PM
1h 44m
8 PM
1h 27m

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

Downtown Winchendon, MA, MA

Winchendon, MA

Khoa Võ

city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States of America

Cambridge, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Winchendon, MA to Cambridge, MA covers 61.1 miles and takes about 1h 30m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Concord Turnpike, MA 140, Captain Isaac Davis Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.8 miles on Concord Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.78 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

30.6 miles from Winchendon, MA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 41m into the drive .

Drive Character

The drive from Winchendon, MA to Cambridge, MA covers 61.1 miles and takes about 1h 30m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

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.
Concord Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 19.8 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 US 202 / Maple Street.

Route Complexity 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.1 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 202 / Maple Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 24.1 miles (MA 2 / Concord Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 58.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

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

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 202 / Maple Street

At end of road, turn left onto US 202 / Maple Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

6
24.1 mi into trip | ~33m in | MA 2 / Concord Turnpike

Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2 / Concord Turnpike

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
58.1 mi into trip | ~1h 21m in

Take the exit toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / left lanes. Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
6
58.5 mi into trip | ~1h 23m in | MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue

Turn right onto MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue toward MA 2A East: Cambridge

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane. Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
6
61 mi into trip | ~1h 30m in | Line Street

At end of road, turn right onto Line Street

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Concord Turnpike 19.8 mi 27m
MA 140 11.7 mi 17m
Captain Isaac Davis Highway 6.3 mi 9m
Green Street 6.2 mi 7m
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2 3.5 mi 5m
Concord Highway 3.4 mi 4m
Gardner Road 3.4 mi 3m
Spring Street 2.3 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Concord Turnpike — 19.8 mi, about 27m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Winchendon, MA and Cambridge, MA.

1

Start on this road

403 ft · 31 sec · this road
2

Turn right

157 ft · 17 sec
3

At end of road, turn left onto US 202

152 ft · 6 sec · Maple Street
4

Turn left onto US 202

0.5 mi · 44 sec · Central Street
5

At end of road, turn left onto Front Street

94 ft · 7 sec · Front Street
6

Turn slight left onto Spring Street

2.3 mi · 2 min · Spring Street
7

Continue on MA 12

3.4 mi · 3 min · Gardner Road
8

Continue on MA 140

6.2 mi · 7 min · Green Street
9

Take the exit onto MA 140

12 mi · 17 min · MA 140
10

Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2

13 mi · 17 min · Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on MA 2

6.3 mi · 9 min · Captain Isaac Davis Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on MA 2; MA 111

0.6 mi · 1 min · Union Turnpike
13

Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 2A

328 ft · 4 sec · Elm Street
14

Continue on MA 2; MA 2A

0.3 mi · 35 sec · Elm Street
15

Continue on MA 2; MA 2A

3.7 mi · 5 min · Concord Turnpike
16

Continue on MA 2

3.5 mi · 5 min · Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
17

Continue on MA 2

3.4 mi · 4 min · Concord Highway
18

Continue on MA 2

3.5 mi · 4 min · Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Take the exit

473 ft · 13 sec
Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn Use the straight / left lanes.
20

Merge onto US 3; MA 16

0.3 mi · 51 sec · Alewife Brook Parkway
Toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medford
21

Turn right onto MA 2A

1.2 mi · 2 min · Massachusetts Avenue
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge Use the straight lane.
22

Turn left onto Somerville Avenue

0.2 mi · 54 sec · Somerville Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
23

Turn right onto Beacon Street

1.0 mi · 3 min · Beacon Street
Use the right lane.
24

Turn right onto Cooney Street

295 ft · 12 sec · Cooney Street
25

At end of road, turn right onto Line Street

294 ft · 19 sec · Line Street
26

Turn left onto Leonard Avenue

460 ft · 19 sec · Leonard Avenue
27

Arrive at destination

Leonard Avenue

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 30.6 miles from Winchendon, MA, or about 41m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 19.8 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 13 miles or 16m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 30.6 miles or 41m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 13m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Cambridge, MA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Winchendon, MA so your first major turns are already loaded.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Winchendon, MA

This is one driving day of about 61.1 miles and 1h 30m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 13 miles from Winchendon, MA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Concord Turnpike for about 19.8 miles.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 30.6 mi from Winchendon, MA · 41m into the drive

town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States of America

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Ayer, MA

31 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Westminster, MA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ayer, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 30.6 miles from Winchendon, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Cambridge, MA

The final approach into Cambridge, MA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.78 one way

$19.56 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $10.66 $21.33
premium $4.82 $11.60 $23.20
diesel $5.61 $13.49 $26.98

Estimated Tolls: $1.67

Concord Turnpike (16.1 mi) $1.12
Concord Turnpike (3.7 mi) $0.26
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2 (3.5 mi) $0.25
Union Turnpike (0.6 mi) $0.04

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$10

Tolls

$2

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$36–$61

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 21.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 18.3 0 $6.42 $2.93
Efficient EV 15.3 0 $5.35 $2.44
EV Truck/SUV 24.4 0 $8.55 $3.91

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Winchendon, MA

Evening in Winchendon on Wednesday

Local time

5:17 PM

EDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cambridge, MA

Evening in Cambridge on Wednesday

Local time

5:17 PM

EDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

2 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

1h 30m 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 Winchendon, MA to Cambridge, MA covers 61.1 miles and takes about 1h 30m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Concord Turnpike, MA 140, Captain Isaac Davis Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 30.6 miles from Winchendon, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.78 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.1 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (US 202 / Maple Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 24.1 miles (MA 2 / Concord Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 58.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Winchendon, MA to Cambridge, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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