Origin
Ayer, MA
Late night in Ayer on Sunday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ayer, MA to Somerville, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52m
Distance
31 mi
50 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ayer, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Somerville, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling the 31.9 miles from Ayer to Somerville is a straightforward journey that typically takes about 49 minutes. Because this is a short trip within the Northeast, you can easily complete it in a single day without needing an overnight stay. You will navigate primarily via local roads, including West Main Street, Harvard Road, and Littleton Road, rather than hopping on major interstates. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, this is an incredibly budget-friendly commute. It is the perfect choice if you prefer avoiding highway traffic in favor of a more direct, localized route.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Turnpike | 7.2 mi | 9m |
| Captain Isaac Davis Highway | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2 | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Littleton Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Ayer Road | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Highland Avenue | 1.2 mi | 4m |
| Taylor Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Concord Turnpike
— 7.2 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ayer, MA and Somerville, MA.
1
Start on MA 2A; MA 111
398 ft
·
11 sec
·
Park Street
2
Turn left onto MA 2A; MA 111
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
West Main Street
3
Continue on MA 2A; MA 111
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Harvard Road
4
Enter roundabout onto MA 2A; MA 110
425 ft
·
7 sec
·
Littleton Road
5
Continue on MA 2A; MA 110
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Littleton Road
6
Continue on MA 2A; MA 110
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Ayer Road
7
Turn right onto King Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
King Street
8
Turn left onto Taylor Street
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Taylor Street
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward MA 2 East: Concord, Boston
10
Merge onto MA 2
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
·
George W Stanton Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on MA 2
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Captain Isaac Davis Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on MA 2; MA 111
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Union Turnpike
13
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 2A
328 ft
·
4 sec
·
Elm Street
14
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Elm Street
15
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Concord Turnpike
16
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
17
Continue on MA 2
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Highway
18
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
473 ft
·
13 sec
Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
Use the straight / left lanes.
20
Merge onto US 3; MA 16
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
Toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medford
21
Turn right onto MA 2A
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Use the straight lane.
22
Turn left onto Russell Street
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
Russell Street
23
Continue on Cutter Avenue
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Cutter Avenue
Use the straight lane.
24
Continue on Highland Avenue
1.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Highland Avenue
25
Turn left
163 ft
·
12 sec
26
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 31 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.5 miles from Ayer, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 28.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
MA 2A; MA 110 / Littleton Road
Enter roundabout onto MA 2A; MA 110 / Littleton Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
6.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
MA 2 / George W Stanton Highway
Merge onto MA 2 / George W Stanton Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
28.2 mi into trip
|
~43m 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
5
28.3 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway
Merge onto US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medford
Merge point - match speed before joining. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medfo...
6
28.6 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue
Turn right onto MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.96 one way
$9.92 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $5.41 | $10.82 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.89 | $11.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.84 | $13.69 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.79
Concord Turnpike
(3.7 mi)
$0.26
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
(3.5 mi)
$0.25
Concord Turnpike
(3.5 mi)
$0.24
Union Turnpike
(0.6 mi)
$0.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.25 | $1.49 |
| Efficient EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.71 | $1.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.34 | $1.98 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Somerville, MA
Late night in Somerville on Sunday
Local time
3:42 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
23 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
52m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. Since the highway share is 0%, you won't experience the monotony of long, straight interstate stretches. Instead, the road demands your attention as you navigate through various local corridors. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 0 miles on West Main Street, highlighting the frequent transitions you will make throughout the trip. This route feels less like a high-speed transit and more like a steady, hands-on drive through the region.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
26 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?
7/10
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 1.1 miles in near MA 2A; MA 110 / Littleton Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 31 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (MA 2A; MA 110 / Littleton Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 6.3 miles (MA 2 / George W Stanton Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Ayer, MA and Somerville, MA, road signs point toward Boston, Woburn and Medford.
Boston
6.1 mi in
|
~10m
Woburn
28.2 mi in
|
~43m
Medford
28.3 mi in
|
~43m
|
via US 3; MA 16
About the Cities
Arriving in Somerville, MA
Full guide →Older Bostonians might still derisively call it "Slummerville", but today that tired old moniker couldn't be further from the truth. Packed with upwardly mobile professionals and longtime residents, Somerville is often voted an "All-America City" and the best-run city in Massachusetts. It would seem civically engaged folks can achieve uncommon results; and Somerville fosters an environment of cooperation like no other. Its 81,000 residents (2020) are quick to enjoy the fruits of their artistry, and you'll find top notch options for dinner, drinks, and dancing all in abundance within Somerville's borders. Lurking just to the south, big brothers Boston and Cambridge provide options and opportunities for many of Somerville's creative class residents.
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 52m. Total distance: 31 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). 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 $0.79 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 Somerville, 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 1.1 miles (MA 2A; MA 110 / Littleton Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 6.3 miles (MA 2 / George W Stanton Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Minute Man National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Adams National Historical Park (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 Somerville, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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