Origin
Boston, MA
Late night in Boston on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Boston, MA to Canton, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
33m
Distance
19.8 mi
32 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 39m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boston, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Canton, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 19.8-mile drive from Boston to Canton, Massachusetts, is easily manageable in about 33 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The journey is primarily highway-focused, with 76% of the route utilizing major roads like the Southeast Expressway and I-93. You'll encounter a fuel cost estimate of around $3, which is very budget-friendly for this short distance. Given its brevity and the direct nature of the drive through the Northeast region, no overnight stays are necessary. This route offers a straightforward connection between two points within the same state.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Expressway | 8 mi | 10m |
| I 93 | 5.8 mi | 7m |
| Washington Street | 3.7 mi | 9m |
| John F. Fitzgerald Expressway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Devonshire Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Kingston Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| School Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Otis Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southeast Expressway
— 8 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Boston, MA and Canton, MA.
1
Start on Tremont Street
230 ft
·
16 sec
·
Tremont Street
2
Turn left onto School Street
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
School Street
Use the left lane.
3
At end of road, turn left onto Washington Street
110 ft
·
4 sec
·
Washington Street
4
Turn right onto Water Street
210 ft
·
11 sec
·
Water Street
5
Turn right onto Devonshire Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Devonshire Street
6
Continue on Otis Street
485 ft
·
18 sec
·
Otis Street
7
Continue on Kingston Street
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Kingston Street
8
Turn left onto Essex Street
244 ft
·
8 sec
·
Essex Street
9
Turn slight right
86 ft
·
5 sec
10
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 93 South: Quincy
11
Merge onto I 93; US 1; MA 3
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3
8.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Southeast Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork onto I 93; US 1
5.8 mi
·
7 min
·
I 93; US 1
Toward I 93 South, US 1 South: Providence Rhode Island
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 2A
Toward MA 138 South: Stoughton
Use the right lane.
15
Merge onto MA 138
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Washington Street
16
Continue on Washington Street
2.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Washington Street
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left
118 ft
·
8 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
10 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 19.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 9.9 miles from Boston, 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
School Street
Turn left onto School Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Washington Street
At end of road, turn left onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Devonshire Street
Turn right onto Devonshire Street
Navigation decision point
8
10 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 93; US 1
Keep slight right at fork onto I 93; US 1 toward I 93 South, US 1 South: Providence Rhode Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 93 South, US 1 South: Providence Rhode...
7
15.8 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward MA 138 South: Stoughton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 2A
Toward MA 138 South: Stoughton
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.17 one way
$6.34 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $3.46 | $6.91 |
| premium | $4.82 | $3.76 | $7.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.37 | $8.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.9 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 | $2.08 | $0.95 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.77 | $1.27 |
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
Canton, MA
Late night in Canton on Sunday
Local time
1:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
43°F
Brookhaven, NY
10 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
33m 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 highway-focused experience for most of this 19.8-mile trip, with 76% of your travel time spent on major arteries like the Southeast Expressway and I-93. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8 miles on the Southeast Expressway, allowing for consistent speed. While primarily on the highway, the route will eventually transition to Washington Street, offering a slight change in pace as you approach your destination. This drive is characterized by its efficiency and directness, minimizing complex maneuvers.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Southeast Expressway is the longest continuous segment at about 8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Southeast Expressway and I 93. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near School Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 19.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (School Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Devonshire Street): Navigation decision point.
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 33m. Total distance: 19.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Boston, MA to Canton, MA covers 19.8 miles and takes about 33m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Southeast Expressway, I 93, Washington Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 9.9 miles from Boston, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.17 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a demanding drive. With 11 significant decision points across 19.8 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (School Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Devonshire Street): Navigation decision point.
The route from Boston, MA to Canton, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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