Skip to main content

Trip from Boston, MA to New Bedford, MA

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 15m

Distance

57.2 mi

92 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 10m ★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 27m
10 AM
1h 20m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 20m
5 PM
1h 27m
8 PM
1h 12m

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

capital and largest city of Massachusetts, United States

Boston, MA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States

New Bedford, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Boston to New Bedford is 57.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes via Amvets Highway and MA 140, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Massachusetts, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region, and offers a relatively straightforward journey. Given its manageable duration, it's ideal for a single-day trip, allowing for a relaxed start and plenty of time to explore your destination upon arrival. The route is a mixed drive, so expect a blend of faster highway travel and more local road segments.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Amvets Highway 23.3 mi 26m
MA 140 15.9 mi 18m
Southeast Expressway 8 mi 10m
I 93 3.4 mi 4m
Purchase Street 1.8 mi 3m
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway 1.2 mi 2m
Mount Pleasant Street 1.1 mi 2m
Nauset Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Amvets Highway — 23.3 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Boston, MA and New Bedford, 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

3.4 mi · 4 min · I 93; US 1
Toward I 93 South, US 1 South: Providence Rhode Island
14

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 4 Toward MA 24 South: Fall River Use the slight left / straight lanes.
15

Continue on MA 24

23 mi · 26 min · Amvets Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 37 sec
Exit 17A Toward MA 140 South: New Bedford Use the right lane.
17

Turn straight onto MA 140

16 mi · 18 min · MA 140
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Exit 4 Toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Turn left onto Mount Pleasant Street

1.1 mi · 2 min · Mount Pleasant Street
20

Turn left onto Nauset Street

0.3 mi · 41 sec · Nauset Street
21

Continue on Purchase Street

1.8 mi · 3 min · Purchase Street
22

Continue on Pleasant Street

432 ft · 10 sec · Pleasant Street
23

Continue on Sixth Street

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Sixth Street
24

Turn left onto Market Street

237 ft · 15 sec · Market Street
25

Turn left onto Pleasant Street

172 ft · 3 sec · Pleasant Street
26

Arrive at destination

Pleasant Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Bridgewater, MA

29 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

Quincy, MA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Raynham, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 28.6 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 53.5 — 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.
6
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. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 93 South, US 1 South: Providence Rhode...
7
13.4 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward MA 24 South: Fall River

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Exit 4 Toward MA 24 South: Fall River
7
37.4 mi into trip | ~48m in

Take the exit toward MA 140 South: New Bedford

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 17A Toward MA 140 South: New Bedford
8
53.5 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in

Take the exit toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 4 Toward Mount Pleasant Street, Airport Road

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.15 one way

$18.31 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 20 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $9.98 $19.97
premium $4.82 $10.86 $21.72
diesel $5.61 $12.63 $25.26

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 20 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.2 0 $6.01 $2.75
Efficient EV 14.3 0 $5.01 $2.29
EV Truck/SUV 22.9 0 $8.01 $3.66

Gas CO2

20 kg

EV CO2

7 kg (65% 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 21, 2026

Origin

Boston, MA

Late night in Boston on Tuesday

Local time

4:12 AM

EDT

Current temp

60°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

New Bedford, MA

Late night in New Bedford on Tuesday

Local time

4:12 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°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

15 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

1h 15m 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?

This 57.2-mile trip presents a mixed drive, with about 50% of the journey on highway sections. You'll encounter stretches like the Southeast Expressway and MA 140, which offer quicker travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 23.3 miles on Amvets Highway. As you progress, the character of the drive will shift, moving from potentially busier expressways to more defined highway routes before eventually leading you to New Bedford. It’s a drive that balances efficiency with more traditional road segments.

50% 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: 23.3 mi on Amvets Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 57.2 miles you will encounter 16 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (School Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (I 93; US 1): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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.

Arriving in New Bedford, MA

Full guide →

Founded 1640

New Bedford is in Massachusetts on the southern coast. New Bedford's excellent harbor made it a natural fishing and whaling center. It was the world's premier whaling port in the 19th century, and, for a time, "the richest city in the world" and "the city that lit the world" because of whale oil production. New Bedford neighbor Acushnet is the birthplace of the Titleist golf ball.

Top landmarks

  • Effie M. Morrissey — museum ship in Massachusetts
  • New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park — national Historical Park of the United States
  • Central New Bedford Historic District — historic district in Massachusetts, United States

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 1h 15m. Total distance: 57.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (50%). 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 23.3 miles on Amvets Highway. 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 New Bedford, 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 (School Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 10 miles (I 93; US 1): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, Adams National Historical Park and Boston 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 New Bedford, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Boston, MA or browse trips ending in New Bedford, MA.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.