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Trip from Boston, MA to Arlington, MA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

17m

Distance

8 mi

13 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$1

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 16m ★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Download GPX
capital and largest city of Massachusetts, United States

Boston, MA

Wikimedia Commons

town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States

Arlington, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Traveling from Boston to Arlington covers a brief 8-mile stretch that typically takes about 17 minutes to complete. Because this is a short, local trip within the Northeast, you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations or planning for a multi-day itinerary. You will navigate via Beacon Street, Somerset Street, and Ashburton Place, keeping the entire journey within the state of Massachusetts. Budgeting is straightforward, as the fuel cost for this quick transit is estimated at just $1. This drive is best viewed as a simple, direct connection rather than a traditional road trip, making it an easy task for any schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 93 1.3 mi 1m
Mystic Avenue 1.2 mi 2m
Broadway 1.2 mi 2m
Powder House Boulevard 0.8 mi 1m
Harvard Street 0.7 mi 1m
Massachusetts Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Sudbury Street 0.3 mi 1m
Warner Street 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 93 — 1.3 mi, about 1m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Boston, MA and Arlington, MA.

1

Start on Tremont Street

230 ft · 11 sec · Tremont Street
2

Turn right onto Beacon Street

302 ft · 11 sec · Beacon Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3

Turn right onto Somerset Street

340 ft · 13 sec · Somerset Street
4

Turn left onto Ashburton Place

210 ft · 7 sec · Ashburton Place
5

Keep slight right at fork onto Ashburton Place

253 ft · 8 sec · Ashburton Place
6

Turn straight onto Bowdoin Street

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Bowdoin Street
7

Turn right onto Cambridge Street

439 ft · 21 sec · Cambridge Street
Use the right lane.
8

Turn left onto Sudbury Street

0.3 mi · 1 min · Sudbury Street
Use the left lane.
9

Take the ramp

1.1 mi · 2 min
Toward I 93 North: Concord NH
10

Merge onto I 93

1.3 mi · 1 min · I 93
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 19 sec
Exit 21 Toward MA 28, MA 38: Somerville, Medford Use the slight right lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Toward MA 28 South, MA 38 North: Somerville, Medford Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13

Turn straight onto MA 38

1.2 mi · 2 min · Mystic Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
14

Turn left onto Harvard Street

0.7 mi · 1 min · Harvard Street
Use the left lane.
15

Continue on Warner Street

0.2 mi · 20 sec · Warner Street
16

Enter roundabout onto Powder House Boulevard

127 ft · 2 sec · Powder House Boulevard
17

Continue on Powder House Boulevard

0.8 mi · 1 min · Powder House Boulevard
18

Turn left onto North Street

0.1 mi · 20 sec · North Street
19

At end of road, turn right onto Broadway

1.2 mi · 2 min · Broadway
20

At end of road, turn right onto US 3; MA 2A

0.3 mi · 53 sec · Massachusetts Avenue
Use the left lane.
21

Turn left onto Academy Street

320 ft · 18 sec · Academy Street
22

Turn left

203 ft · 14 sec
23

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 3.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Beacon Street

Turn right onto Beacon Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
7
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Cambridge Street

Turn right onto Cambridge Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Sudbury Street

Turn left onto Sudbury Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
3.1 mi into trip | ~6m in

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 21 Toward MA 28, MA 38: Somerville, Medford
9
3.3 mi into trip | ~7m in

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

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward MA 28 South, MA 38 North: Somerville, Me...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.28 one way

$2.56 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 3 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $1.40 $2.79
premium $4.82 $1.52 $3.04
diesel $5.61 $1.77 $3.53

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$1

Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 2.4 0 $0.84 $0.38
Efficient EV 2 0 $0.70 $0.32
EV Truck/SUV 3.2 0 $1.12 $0.51

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Boston, MA

Late night in Boston on Sunday

Local time

3:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Arlington, MA

Late night in Arlington 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

1 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

17m 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 driving experience that keeps you off the highway entirely. Since 0% of this route involves highway travel, you will spend your time navigating urban streets rather than cruising at high speeds. The path requires your full attention as you transition between local roads, creating a driving environment that feels more like a city commute than a scenic tour. Without any long, uninterrupted stretches to settle into, the drive remains active and engaging from start to finish. You should be prepared for frequent turns and standard local traffic patterns throughout the duration of your trip.

Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 1.3 mi on I 93.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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.

Driving Effort 8/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.

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 0.4 miles (Sudbury Street): 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.

On the drive from Boston, MA to Arlington, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Medford along the way.

Medford

3.1 mi in | ~6m

About the Cities

Starting 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 17m. Total distance: 8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

17m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 1.3 miles on I 93. 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 Arlington, 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: near the start (Beacon Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Cambridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (Sudbury Street): Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area 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 Arlington, 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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