Origin
Billerica, MA
Late night in Billerica on Sunday
Local time
3:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Billerica, MA to Cambridge, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
19.5 mi
31 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 36m
3 PM
0h 37m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 33m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Billerica, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Billerica to Cambridge covers a concise 21.8-mile distance that typically takes about 34 minutes to complete. Because this route is a quick local transit, you can easily handle it as a straightforward day trip without needing any overnight stops. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $3, it is an economical way to navigate between these two Massachusetts locations. You will stay entirely within the Northeast region, making for a familiar and predictable travel experience. Whether you are heading into the city for work or a visit, this short journey is efficient and requires minimal planning. It serves as a practical connection for anyone looking to bridge the gap between suburban Billerica and the urban environment of Cambridge.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 6.5 mi | 9m |
| Cambridge Street | 2.4 mi | 2m |
| Cambridge Road | 2 mi | 2m |
| Concord Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Mystic Street | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Beacon Street | 1 mi | 3m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 6.5 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Billerica, MA and Cambridge, MA.
1
Start on MA 3A
314 ft
·
8 sec
·
Boston Road
2
Continue on MA 3A
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Concord Road
3
Continue on Concord Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Concord Road
4
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward US 3 South: Burlington
5
Merge onto US 3
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
US 3
6
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
US 3
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
US 3
8
Merge onto I 95; US 3; MA 128
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
9
Take the exit onto US 3
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
US 3
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 3
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Cambridge Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
11
Continue on US 3
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Road
12
Continue on US 3
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Street
13
Continue on US 3
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Mystic Street
14
Turn left onto MA 60
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Chestnut Street
15
Turn right onto Warren Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Warren Street
16
Turn straight onto Broadway
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
Broadway
17
Turn right onto MA 16
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
18
Turn left onto MA 2A
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Use the left lane.
19
Turn left onto Somerville Avenue
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
Somerville Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
20
Turn right onto Beacon Street
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Beacon Street
Use the right lane.
21
Turn right onto Cooney Street
295 ft
·
12 sec
·
Cooney Street
22
At end of road, turn right onto Line Street
294 ft
·
19 sec
·
Line Street
23
Turn left onto Leonard Avenue
460 ft
·
19 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
24
Arrive at destination
Leonard Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 19.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.8 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Turn left toward US 3 South: Burlington
Navigation decision point
Toward US 3 South: Burlington
9
7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
US 3
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3 toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
7
9.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
US 3
Take the exit onto US 3 toward US 3 South: Winchester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
5
9.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 3 / Cambridge Street
Merge onto US 3 / Cambridge Street
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
19.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
Line Street
At end of road, turn right onto Line Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.12 one way
$6.24 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $3.40 | $6.81 |
| premium | $4.82 | $3.70 | $7.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.31 | $8.61 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| Efficient EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.71 | $0.78 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.73 | $1.25 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Cambridge, MA
Late night in Cambridge on Sunday
Local time
3:45 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
21 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
34m 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 demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. You will navigate via a combination of Concord Road, US 3 South, and I 95 North to reach your destination. Interestingly, the highway share for this route is 0%, meaning you will spend the entirety of your time on local roads and surface streets. Because the longest stretch on Concord Road is 0 miles, the drive is characterized by frequent transitions and turns rather than long, uninterrupted segments. Prepare for a hands-on driving experience that keeps you active behind the wheel as you navigate the local infrastructure.
36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on US 3.
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 1.8 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 16 decision points packed into just 19.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.3 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
On the drive from Billerica, MA to Cambridge, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Peabody along the way.
Peabody
7 mi in
|
~10m
|
via US 3
About the Cities
Starting in Billerica, MA
Full guide →Billerica is a city of 42,000 people (2020) in Massachusetts that is on the border between Boston’s inner suburbs to the south and the Merrimack Valley region to the north.
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 34m. Total distance: 19.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). 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 6.5 miles on US 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Cambridge, 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 1.8 miles: Navigation decision point; at 7 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.3 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Lowell 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 Cambridge, 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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