Trip from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA

Drive Time

53m

Distance

44.2 mi

71 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

Downtown Cambridge, MA, MA

Photo: Phil Evenden

Trip Overview

The drive from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA covers 44.2 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Front Street, Washington Square, Grafton Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.04 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

22.1 miles from Worcester, MA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 26m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 53m drive with frequent turns across 44.2 miles of local and secondary roads.

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.
Front Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple — set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Route Complexity 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

The drive from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA is easy. At 53m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Front Street Unavailable Refreshing
Washington Square Unavailable Refreshing
Grafton Street Unavailable Refreshing
Grafton Road Unavailable Refreshing
Massachusetts Turnpike Unavailable Refreshing
Allston-Brighton Unavailable Refreshing
Cambridge Unavailable Refreshing
Cambridge Street Unavailable Refreshing

Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.

Longest stretch: Front Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Main Street

292 ft · 12 sec · Main Street
2

Turn right onto Front Street

0.4 mi · 51 sec · Front Street
3

Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Washington Square

23 ft · Washington Square
4

Exit the rotary onto Grafton Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Grafton Street
5

Continue on Grafton Street

0.5 mi · 42 sec · Grafton Street
6

Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Grafton Street

39 ft · 1 sec · Grafton Street
7

Exit the roundabout onto Grafton Street

2.9 mi · 3 min · Grafton Street
8

Continue on Grafton Road

0.4 mi · 59 sec · Grafton Road
9

Take the exit right

0.4 mi · 57 sec
10

Keep slight left

0.6 mi · 1 min
11

Merge slight left onto Massachusetts Turnpike

34 mi · 40 min · Massachusetts Turnpike
12

Take the exit slight left toward Allston-Brighton, Cambridge, Fenway Park

0.5 mi · 1 min · Allston-Brighton, Cambridge, Fenway Park
13

Keep slight right to continue on Cambridge, Somerville, Fenway Park

0.2 mi · 23 sec · Cambridge, Somerville, Fenway Park
14

Turn slight right onto Cambridge Street

180 ft · 6 sec · Cambridge Street
15

Continue on River Street

0.8 mi · 2 min · River Street
16

Continue on Prospect Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · Prospect Street
17

Turn left onto Hampshire Street

0.1 mi · 34 sec · Hampshire Street
18

Continue on Cambridge Street

0.1 mi · 30 sec · Cambridge Street
19

Turn right onto Line Street

0.2 mi · 52 sec · Line Street
20

Turn left onto Leonard Avenue

459 ft · 20 sec · Leonard Avenue
21

Arrive at your destination

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 22.1 miles from Worcester, MA, or about 26m into the drive.

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 44.2 miles or 53m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 22.1 miles or 26m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 45m

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 Worcester, MA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Worcester, MA

This is one driving day of about 44.2 miles and 53m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Worcester, MA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 22.1 mi from Worcester, MA · 26m into the drive

Downtown Brookhaven, NY, NY

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Brookhaven, NY

22 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

Brookhaven, NY

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 44.2 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Brookhaven, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.1 miles from Worcester, 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.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Cambridge, MA.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.04 one way

$14.07 round trip

$4.04/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.40 $7.65 $15.30
premium $4.80 $8.35 $16.70
diesel $5.64 $9.82 $19.64

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$7

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$32–$57

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

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.3 0 $4.64 $2.12
Efficient EV 11.1 0 $3.87 $1.77
EV Truck/SUV 17.7 0 $6.19 $2.83

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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

Local time and weather at both ends of the drive

Current conditions at both ends of the drive. If you're planning ahead, check the forecast closer to your travel date.

Forecast data refreshed 1 day ago

Origin

Worcester, MA

Evening in Worcester on Saturday

Local time

7:26 PM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Forecast unavailable right now

EDT Live forecast

Destination

Cambridge, MA

Evening in Cambridge on Saturday

Local time

7:26 PM

EDT

Current temp

51°F

Forecast unavailable right now

EDT Live forecast

Along the Route

49°F

Brookhaven, NY

22 mi in

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

26 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

53m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA covers 44.2 miles and takes about 53m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Front Street, Washington Square, Grafton Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22.1 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 $7.04 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.
The drive from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA is easy. At 53m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Worcester, MA to Cambridge, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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