Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h
Distance
88.4 mi
142 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$15
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Boston, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Orleans, MA
Mathias Reding
The drive from Boston, MA to Orleans, MA covers 88.4 miles and takes about 2h behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Mid Cape Highway, MA 3, Pilgrims Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 33.6 miles on Mid Cape Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.75 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
44.2 miles from Boston, MA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 59m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Mid Cape Highway | 33.6 mi | 46m |
| MA 3 | 30.9 mi | 39m |
| Pilgrims Highway | 12 mi | 15m |
| Southeast Expressway | 8 mi | 10m |
| John F. Fitzgerald Expressway | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Route 6A | 1 mi | 1m |
| Sagamore Bridge | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Pilgrim Highway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 208 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
1 PM
~4,593 veh/hr typical · worst 6,053
Quietest
2 AM
~603 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.6×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 89 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Boston, MA and Orleans, MA.
Start on Tremont Street
Turn left onto School Street
At end of road, turn left onto Washington Street
Turn right onto Water Street
Turn right onto Devonshire Street
Continue on Otis Street
Continue on Kingston Street
Turn left onto Essex Street
Turn slight right
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 93; US 1; MA 3
Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 3
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 3
Continue on MA 3
Continue on US 6
Continue on US 6
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn right onto MA 6A
Arrive at destination
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 19 miles or 27m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 44.2 miles or 59m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 41m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Orleans, MA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Boston, MA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Boston, MA
This is one driving day of about 88.4 miles and 2h.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
44 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.
A short stop after about 19 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 44.2 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 87.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto School Street
Lane positioning matters here
At end of road, turn left onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Devonshire Street
Navigation decision point
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 3 toward MA 3 South: Cape Cod
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MA 6A: Orleans, East Brewster
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$14.75 one way
$29.49 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $16.24 | $32.47 |
| premium | $5.06 | $17.60 | $35.20 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $19.49 | $38.97 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$15
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$40–$65
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 30.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 26.5 | 0 | $9.28 | $4.24 |
| Efficient EV | 22.1 | 0 | $7.74 | $3.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 35.4 | 0 | $12.38 | $5.66 |
Gas CO2
31 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (68% 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 Saturday
Local time
12:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Orleans on Saturday
Local time
12:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy
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
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
88.4 mi in 2h — 46% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Mid Cape Highway.
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.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a demanding drive. With 12 significant decision points across 88.4 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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
442 ft
Total Descent
432 ft
Highest Point
179 ft
~44.2 mi in
Elevation Range
177 ft
“The Hub” · Founded 1630
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.
Top landmarks
Founded 1693
Orleans is in Massachusetts on Cape Cod, and includes the villages of East Orleans and South Orleans. With the Rock Harbor sunsets and the Nauset surf, Orleans has the best of both Cape Cod waters.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h. Total distance: 88.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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