Origin
Worcester, MA
Morning in Worcester on Friday
Local time
6:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Worcester, MA to Amherst Center, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 23m
Distance
55.8 mi
90 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Worcester, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Amherst Center, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Worcester, MA to Amherst Center, MA covers 55.8 miles and takes about 1h 23m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Massachusetts Turnpike, Federal Street, I 290 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.4 miles on Massachusetts Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.93 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 23m. Total distance: 55.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Worcester, MA to Amherst Center, MA covers 55.8 miles and takes about 1h 23m, 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 36 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 27.4 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 0.7 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.8 miles you will encounter 20 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 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.5 miles (I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 20 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
6 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward MA 12 South: Webster
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 12B
Toward MA 12 South: Webster
6
18.5 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
6
34.6 mi into trip
|
~43m in
Take the exit toward MA 32: Palmer, Ware
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 63
Toward MA 32: Palmer, Ware
6
55.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 22m in
|
Main Street
At end of road, turn left onto Main Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Worcester, MA to Amherst Center, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Ware along the way.
Ware
34.6 mi in
|
~43m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 27.4 mi | 31m |
| Federal Street | 5.6 mi | 10m |
| I 290 | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| South Liberty Street | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| North Washington Street | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Belchertown Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| North Main Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Main Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Massachusetts Turnpike
— 27.4 mi, about 31m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Worcester, MA and Amherst Center, MA.
1
Start on Main Street
135 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto Franklin Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Franklin Street
3
Continue on Green Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Green Street
4
Enter roundabout onto MA 122A
244 ft
·
3 sec
·
Vernon Street
5
Continue on MA 122A
148 ft
·
2 sec
·
Vernon Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto I 290
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
I 290
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 12B
Toward MA 12 South: Webster
9
Turn left onto Oxford Street
466 ft
·
10 sec
·
Oxford Street
10
At end of road, turn right onto MA 12
446 ft
·
9 sec
·
Southbridge Street
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 90 West
13
Merge onto I 90
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 90
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
Use the straight lane.
15
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
2 min
Exit 63
Toward MA 32: Palmer, Ware
16
Turn right onto MA 32
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Thorndike Street
Use the right lane.
17
At end of road, turn right onto US 20
0.8 mi
·
59 sec
·
North Main Street
18
Continue on MA 181
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
19
Continue on MA 181
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Sykes Street
20
Turn left onto Palmer Street
192 ft
·
5 sec
·
Palmer Street
21
Continue on Palmer Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Palmer Road
22
Turn right onto Bridge Street
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
Bridge Street
23
Continue on Belchertown Street
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Belchertown Street
24
Continue on South Liberty Street
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
South Liberty Street
25
Continue on North Washington Street
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North Washington Street
26
Turn straight onto MA 181
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
South Main Street
27
Turn left onto MA 9
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Federal Street
Use the left lane.
28
Continue on Federal Street
4.3 mi
·
7 min
·
Federal Street
29
Continue on MA 9
391 ft
·
6 sec
·
USMC League Highway
30
Continue on MA 9
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Belchertown Road
31
Continue on MA 9
378 ft
·
12 sec
·
Belchertown Road
32
Continue on MA 9
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
College Street
33
Turn right onto Dickinson Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Dickinson Street
34
At end of road, turn left onto Main Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Main Street
35
Turn left onto Boltwood Avenue
117 ft
·
5 sec
·
Boltwood Avenue
36
Arrive at destination
Boltwood Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 27.9 mi from Worcester, MA · 35m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 27.9 miles from Worcester, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Amherst Center, MA
The final approach into Amherst Center, 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
$8.93 one way
$17.86 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $9.74 | $19.48 |
| premium | $4.82 | $10.60 | $21.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.32 | $24.64 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.64
Massachusetts Turnpike
(27.4 mi)
$1.64
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$2
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.7 | 0 | $5.86 | $2.68 |
| Efficient EV | 14 | 0 | $4.88 | $2.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.3 | 0 | $7.81 | $3.57 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Amherst Center, MA
Morning in Amherst Center on Friday
Local time
6:40 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°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
24 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
1h 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 Worcester, MA to Amherst Center, MA covers 55.8 miles and takes about 1h 23m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Massachusetts Turnpike, Federal Street, I 290. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 27.9 miles from Worcester, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.93 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 55.8 miles you will encounter 20 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 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 18.5 miles (I 90 / Massachusetts Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Worcester, MA to Amherst Center, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Ware along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include New England National Scenic Trail and Minute Man National Historical Park.
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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