Trip from Worcester, MA to Waltham, MA

Drive Time

45m

Distance

38.9 mi

Route Type

Turn-heavy local drive

Quick day trip

Trip Overview

The drive from Worcester, MA to Waltham, MA covers 38.9 miles and takes about 45m 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 $5.28 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

19.5 miles from Worcester, MA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 22m into the drive .

Drive Character

Expect a 45m drive with frequent turns across 38.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

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

There are about 22 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.

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
I 95	Unavailable	Refreshing
I 95 North	Unavailable	Refreshing
MA 30	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 Waltham, MA.

Start on Main Street

292 ft · 12 sec · Main Street

Turn right onto Front Street

0.4 mi · 50 sec · Front Street

Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Washington Square

23 ft · Washington Square

Exit the rotary onto Grafton Street

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Grafton Street

Continue on Grafton Street

0.5 mi · 46 sec · Grafton Street

Enter the roundabout and take exit 1 toward Grafton Street

39 ft · 1 sec · Grafton Street

Exit the roundabout onto Grafton Street

2.9 mi · 3 min · Grafton Street

Continue on Grafton Road

0.4 mi · 59 sec · Grafton Road

Take the exit right

0.4 mi · 57 sec

Keep slight left

0.6 mi · 1 min

Merge slight left onto Massachusetts Turnpike

26 mi · 30 min · Massachusetts Turnpike

Take the exit slight right toward I 95: Portsmouth New Hampshire, Providence Rhode Island

0.4 mi · 50 sec · I 95: Portsmouth New Hampshire, Providence Rhode Island

Continue straight

0.2 mi · 28 sec

Continue straight

0.2 mi · 22 sec

Keep slight left to continue on I 95 North: Waltham, Portsmouth New Hampshire

0.5 mi · 1 min · I 95 North: Waltham, Portsmouth New Hampshire

Keep slight right to continue on MA 30: Newton, Weston

0.1 mi · 20 sec · MA 30: Newton, Weston

Keep slight right to continue on MA 30 East: Newton

131 ft · 3 sec · MA 30 East: Newton

Turn slight right onto Commonwealth Avenue

0.8 mi · 1 min · Commonwealth Avenue

Turn left onto Lexington Street

1.0 mi · 1 min · Lexington Street

Continue on Moody Street

1.1 mi · 3 min · Moody Street

Turn right onto Main Street

410 ft · 11 sec · Main Street

Arrive at your destination

When to Leave

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 19.5 miles from Worcester, MA, or about 22m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Drive Plan

Departure

Before you leave

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

First stop

Around 38.9 miles or 45m in

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

Halfway reset

Around 19.5 miles or 22m in

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

Final approach

Final hour starts around 38m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Waltham, 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.

Trip Strategy

Day 1

Settle into the route from Worcester, MA

This is one driving day of about 38.9 miles and 45m.

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.

Best Stop Towns on This Route

These towns line up with the pace of this drive and give you clearer places to stop with a purpose.

Late stop town

Meal stop

Arlington, MA

19 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.

Travel Advice

Arrival Notes

The final approach into Waltham, 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 Waltham, MA.

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.

Stops Along the Way

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 19.5 mi from Worcester, MA

Arlington, MA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Arlington, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.5 miles from Worcester, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

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

Fuel & Cost

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
regular	$3.45	$5.28	$10.57
midgrade	$3.85	$5.90	$11.79
premium	$4.15	$6.36	$12.71
diesel	$3.75	$5.74	$11.49

Based on 25.4 MPG average. Estimated CO2 emission: 13.6 kg one way.

Travel Intel

Local time and weather at both ends of the drive

Compare the departure city with the arrival city before you leave so the route feels predictable, not reactive.

Forecast data refreshed 21 hours ago

Origin

Worcester, MA

Late night in Worcester on Saturday

Local time

3:57 AM

EDT

Current temp

77°F

Forecast unavailable right now

EDT Live mapsof forecast

Destination

Waltham, MA

Late night in Waltham on Saturday

Local time

3:57 AM

EDT

Current temp

76°F

Forecast unavailable right now

EDT Live mapsof 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

1 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

45m 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 Waltham, MA covers 38.9 miles and takes about 45m 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 19.5 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 $5.28 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.