Origin
Acton, MA
Late night in Acton on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Acton, MA to Boston, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
24.3 mi
39 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 48m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 43m
3 PM
0h 44m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Acton, MA
Italo Melo
Boston, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion from Acton to Boston, you are looking at a manageable 24.3-mile trip that typically takes about 40 minutes. Because of the short duration, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day outing, meaning you can easily skip an overnight stay. You will primarily navigate via the Concord Turnpike, Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2, and Concord Highway to reach the city. Budgeting roughly $4 for fuel makes this an incredibly economical trip across the Northeast. Whether you are commuting or heading into the city for personal business, the simplicity of the transit allows for maximum flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Turnpike | 7.2 mi | 9m |
| Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2 | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| I 93 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Mystic Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Concord Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Elm Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Alewife Brook Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Concord Turnpike
— 7.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Acton, MA and Boston, MA.
1
Start on Concord Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Concord Road
2
At end of road, turn right onto MA 2A; MA 119
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Great Road
3
Continue on MA 2A; MA 119
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Elm Street
4
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 2A
512 ft
·
6 sec
·
Elm Street
5
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Elm Street
6
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Concord Turnpike
7
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
8
Continue on MA 2
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Highway
9
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
473 ft
·
13 sec
Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
Use the straight / left lanes.
11
Merge onto US 3; MA 16
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
Toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medford
12
Turn right onto Powder House Boulevard
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Powder House Boulevard
Use the right lane.
13
Enter roundabout
234 ft
·
4 sec
14
Continue
28 ft
·
0 sec
15
Continue on Warner Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Warner Street
16
Continue on Harvard Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Harvard Street
17
Turn right onto MA 38
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Mystic Avenue
Use the straight lane.
18
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
Toward I 93 South: Boston
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Toward I 93 South: Boston
20
Merge onto I 93
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 93
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 17B-A
Toward MA 1A Toll: Airport, Government Center
Use the slight right lane.
22
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 17A
Toward Government Center
Use the slight right lane.
23
Turn straight onto John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road
24
Turn right onto State Street
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
State Street
25
Continue on Court Street
473 ft
·
20 sec
·
Court Street
26
Turn left onto Tremont Street
333 ft
·
11 sec
·
Tremont Street
27
Arrive at destination
Tremont Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 16.8 and 23.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
16.8 mi into trip
|
~25m 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
17.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Powder House Boulevard
Turn right onto Powder House Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
21.1 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 93 South: Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 93 South: Boston
8
23.4 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward MA 1A Toll: Airport, Government Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 17B-A
Toward MA 1A Toll: Airport, Government Center
9
23.6 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Government Center
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 17A
Toward Government Center
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.89 one way
$7.78 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.24 | $8.48 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.61 | $9.23 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.37 | $10.73 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.75
Concord Turnpike
(3.7 mi)
$0.26
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
(3.5 mi)
$0.25
Concord Turnpike
(3.5 mi)
$0.24
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.40 | $1.56 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Boston, MA
Late night in Boston on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Chance Rain Showers
S 12 mph
27% chance
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
10 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
40m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed driving experience as you transition from the quiet surroundings of Acton into the denser environment of Boston. The route is comprised of 56% highway driving, giving you a balance of sustained momentum and local navigation. You will find your longest uninterrupted segment on the Concord Turnpike, which spans 7.2 miles of the journey. As you progress along the Cambridge Turnpike and Concord Highway, the road feel shifts, requiring more attention to changing traffic conditions. It is not an endless interstate grind, but rather a practical, straightforward path that gets you to your destination efficiently.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.2 mi on Concord Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 16.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 24.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 16.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.9 miles (Powder House Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
269 ft
6 ft
Total Climb
180 ft
Total Descent
400 ft
Highest Point
269 ft
Elevation Range
263 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Acton, MA and Boston, MA, road signs point toward Woburn and Medford.
Woburn
16.8 mi in
|
~25m
Medford
16.9 mi in
|
~25m
|
via US 3; MA 16
About the Cities
Arriving in Boston, MA
Full guide →A city of history and tradition, Boston offers a proud legacy of culture, education, and numerous sporting championships. The "shining city on a hill"s independent spirit has been displayed to the world ever since colonists were angry over a British tax on their beloved tea and dumped shiploads of it into the harbor in protest. In the early 1600s, the peninsula in Massachusetts that would become known as Boston was controlled by Native Americans until John Smith (English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, Admiral of New England, and author) named the area New England to attract European settlers. Boston was founded in 1630 by John Winthrop, making it one of the oldest cities in the U.S. No other American city has made more of an effort to preserve its history, and you'll find buildings that pre-date the republic dotted throughout the region.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 24.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.2 miles on Concord Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.75 in tolls one way, starting with Concord Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Boston, MA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 16.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.9 miles (Powder House Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Boston, MA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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