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Trip from Worcester, MA to Swampscott, MA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 16m

Distance

56.6 mi

91 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 11m ★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 22m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m

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

Downtown Worcester, MA, MA

Worcester, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Swampscott, MA, MA

Swampscott, MA

David Kanigan

Trip Overview

The drive from Worcester, MA to Swampscott, MA covers 56.6 miles and takes about 1h 16m 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 $9.06 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 56.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 16m 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.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 16m drive with frequent turns across 56.6 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 30 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.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Worcester, MA to Swampscott, MA is easy. At 1h 16m 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 Swampscott, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Front Street
Washington Square
Grafton Street
Grafton Road
Massachusetts Turnpike
Ted Williams Tunnel
East Boston Expressway
McClellan Highway

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

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

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Worcester, MA and Swampscott, 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

39 mi · 48 min · Massachusetts Turnpike
12

Continue on Ted Williams Tunnel

1.6 mi · 2 min · Ted Williams Tunnel
13

Continue on Massachusetts Turnpike

1.1 mi · 1 min · Massachusetts Turnpike
14

Merge slight left onto East Boston Expressway

0.3 mi · 34 sec · East Boston Expressway
15

Continue on McClellan Highway

1.1 mi · 1 min · McClellan Highway
16

Continue on Lee Burbank Highway

1.0 mi · 2 min · Lee Burbank Highway
17

Take the exit slight right

367 ft · 11 sec
18

Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Mahoney Circle

7 ft · Mahoney Circle
19

Exit the rotary onto Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway

0.4 mi · 34 sec · Veterans of Foreign Wars Parkway
20

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Butler Circle

374 ft · 5 sec · Butler Circle
21

Exit the rotary onto North Shore Road

2.6 mi · 4 min · North Shore Road
22

Continue on Lynnway

2.2 mi · 2 min · Lynnway
23

Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Nahant Circle

0.1 mi · 9 sec · Nahant Circle
24

Exit the rotary onto Lynn Shore Drive

1.1 mi · 1 min · Lynn Shore Drive
25

Continue on Humphrey Street

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Humphrey Street
26

Turn left onto Monument Avenue

417 ft · 13 sec · Monument Avenue
27

Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward Elmwood Road

177 ft · 6 sec · Elmwood Road
28

Exit the roundabout onto Elmwood Road

413 ft · 20 sec · Elmwood Road
29

Turn right onto Hardy Road

420 ft · 19 sec · Hardy Road
30

Arrive at your destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 28.3 mi from Worcester, MA · 38m into the drive

Downtown Waltham, MA, MA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Waltham, MA

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

Grafton, MA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Waltham, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.3 miles from Worcester, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Swampscott, MA

The final approach into Swampscott, 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

$9.06 one way

$18.12 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $9.88 $19.76
premium $4.82 $10.75 $21.49
diesel $5.61 $12.50 $24.99

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 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 17 0 $5.94 $2.72
Efficient EV 14.2 0 $4.95 $2.26
EV Truck/SUV 22.6 0 $7.92 $3.62

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Worcester, MA

Morning in Worcester on Friday

Local time

9:55 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Swampscott, MA

Morning in Swampscott on Friday

Local time

9:55 AM

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

2 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 16m 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 Swampscott, MA covers 56.6 miles and takes about 1h 16m 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 28.3 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 $9.06 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 Swampscott, MA is easy. At 1h 16m 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 Swampscott, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Worcester, MA to Swampscott, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Swampscott, MA to Worcester, MA

Plan the drive back the other way.

56.2 mi 1h 16m

Explore more options from Worcester, MA or browse trips ending in Swampscott, MA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.