Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
24.2 mi
39 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boston, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Acton, MA
Italo Melo
If you are looking for a quick getaway from Boston to Acton, this 24.2-mile journey is an ideal day trip. You can expect to spend about 42 minutes behind the wheel, making it a very manageable drive for a morning or afternoon excursion. With a fuel cost of approximately $4, it is an incredibly budget-friendly way to move from the city into the surrounding region. Since the entire trip is located within Massachusetts, you will stay firmly in the Northeast throughout your travel. This route is best completed in a single day, as there is no need for an overnight split given the short duration. It serves as a practical, straightforward connection between these two points.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Turnpike | 8 mi | 12m |
| Cambridge Turnpike | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| I 93 | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Mystic Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Concord Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Alewife Brook Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Elm Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Boston, MA and Acton, MA.
Start on Tremont Street
Turn right onto Beacon Street
Turn right onto Somerset Street
Turn left onto Ashburton Place
Keep slight right at fork onto Ashburton Place
Turn straight onto Bowdoin Street
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
Turn left onto Sudbury Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 93
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn straight onto MA 38
Turn left onto Harvard Street
Continue on Warner Street
Enter roundabout onto Powder House Boulevard
Continue on Powder House Boulevard
At end of road, turn left onto MA 16
Turn right onto MA 2
Continue on MA 2
Continue on MA 2
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
Enter roundabout onto MA 2A; MA 119
Continue on MA 2A; MA 119
Continue on MA 2A; MA 119
Turn left onto Concord Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 6.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto Beacon Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MA 28, MA 38: Somerville, Medford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward MA 28 South, MA 38 North: Somerville, Medford
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
At end of road, turn left onto MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.87 one way
$7.75 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.22 | $8.45 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.60 | $9.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.34 | $10.69 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.79
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 · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.39 | $1.55 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Boston on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Late night in Acton on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a mixed driving experience as you transition from the urban environment of Boston toward the more open settings of Acton. The route relies on a combination of the Concord Turnpike, Cambridge Turnpike, and Concord Highway to get you to your destination. Highways account for about 56% of your time on the road, providing a steady pace for most of the trip. Your longest uninterrupted stretch is an 8-mile run along the Concord Turnpike, which offers a brief period of consistent travel. As you move away from the city, the road personality shifts from dense corridors to the more fluid sections of the turnpike and highway system.
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 early in the drive near Beacon Street.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 24.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Beacon Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Cambridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
405 ft
Total Descent
185 ft
Highest Point
269 ft
~24.2 mi in
Elevation Range
263 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Boston, MA to Acton, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Medford along the way.
Medford
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 24.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m 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.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Boston, MA or browse trips ending in Acton, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.
