Origin
Cambridge, MA
Late night in Cambridge on Sunday
Local time
1:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cambridge, MA to Ashby, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
49.9 mi
80 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 15m
★
6 AM
1h 21m
8 AM
1h 34m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 24m
3 PM
1h 26m
5 PM
1h 33m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Ashby, MA
Ron Lach
Trip Overview
This 49.9-mile drive from Cambridge, MA to Ashby, MA is a manageable 1-hour and 21-minute journey, perfect for a single-day trip. You'll primarily travel on Concord Turnpike, Captain Isaac Davis Highway, and Massachusetts Avenue, with about a third of the route utilizing highways. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $8, making it an economical option. As you travel from the Northeast region within Massachusetts to the same region, expect a mixed driving experience that transitions from more urban-influenced roads to those with a more local feel. This route offers a straightforward path for a quick excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Turnpike | 11.8 mi | 17m |
| Captain Isaac Davis Highway | 11.2 mi | 15m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Cambridge Turnpike | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| John Fitch Highway | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Ashby State Road | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Fitchburg State Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Concord Turnpike
— 11.8 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cambridge, MA and Ashby, MA.
1
Start on Leonard Avenue
267 ft
·
13 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
2
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Continue on Cambridge Street
108 ft
·
4 sec
·
Cambridge Street
4
Turn left onto MA 2A
162 ft
·
7 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue
5
Turn right onto Garden Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Garden Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on Concord Avenue
1.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Concord Avenue
Use the left lane.
7
Enter roundabout onto US 3; MA 2; MA 16
45 ft
·
1 sec
·
Concord Avenue
Toward MA 2 West, US 3 North, MA 16 East
8
Continue on US 3; MA 2; MA 16
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Concord Avenue
Toward MA 2 West, US 3 North, MA 16 East
9
Keep slight right at fork onto US 3; MA 2; MA 16
0.6 mi
·
49 sec
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
Toward MA 2 West, US 3 North, MA 16 East
10
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Concord Turnpike
Toward MA 2 West: Concord
Use the straight lane.
11
Continue on MA 2
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Concord Highway
12
Continue on MA 2
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Cambridge Turnpike
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Concord Turnpike
14
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Elm Street
15
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 111
407 ft
·
5 sec
·
Union Turnpike
16
Continue on MA 2; MA 111
0.6 mi
·
39 sec
·
Union Turnpike
17
Continue on MA 2; MA 111
6.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
18
Continue on MA 2
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
George W Stanton Highway
19
Continue on MA 2
11 mi
·
15 min
·
Captain Isaac Davis Highway
20
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Concord Turnpike
21
Turn right onto Abbott Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Abbott Avenue
22
At end of road, turn left onto MA 12
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
Water Street
23
Turn right onto Bemis Road
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Bemis Road
24
Keep slight right at fork onto John Fitch Highway
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
John Fitch Highway
25
Enter roundabout onto Ashby State Road
32 ft
·
0 sec
·
Ashby State Road
26
Continue on Ashby State Road
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Ashby State Road
27
Continue on MA 31
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Fitchburg State Road
28
Continue on MA 119
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
29
Turn right onto Common Road
121 ft
·
5 sec
·
Common Road
30
Arrive at destination
Common Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25 miles from Cambridge, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cambridge Street
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Garden Street
Turn right onto Garden Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 3; MA 2; MA 16 / Concord Avenue
Enter roundabout onto US 3; MA 2; MA 16 / Concord Avenue toward MA 2 West, US 3 North, MA 16 East
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MA 2 West, US 3 North, MA 16 East
6
2.4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 3; MA 2; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 3; MA 2; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway toward MA 2 West, US 3 North, MA 16 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MA 2 West, US 3 North, MA 16 East
7
3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
MA 2 / Concord Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2 / Concord Turnpike toward MA 2 West: Concord
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward MA 2 West: Concord
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.99 one way
$15.97 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $8.71 | $17.42 |
| premium | $4.82 | $9.48 | $18.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.02 | $22.03 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.09
Concord Turnpike
(7.9 mi)
$0.55
Concord Turnpike
(3.9 mi)
$0.27
Cambridge Turnpike
(3.3 mi)
$0.23
Union Turnpike
(0.6 mi)
$0.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$1
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15 | 0 | $5.24 | $2.40 |
| Efficient EV | 12.5 | 0 | $4.37 | $2.00 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20 | 0 | $6.99 | $3.19 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Destination
Ashby, MA
Late night in Ashby on Sunday
Local time
1:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
37°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
25 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 21m 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?
The drive offers a mixed profile, with 33% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches of faster-paced driving, including an uninterrupted segment of 11.8 miles on Concord Turnpike. As you progress, the character of the roads will likely shift, transitioning from the more significant thoroughfares like Concord Turnpike and Captain Isaac Davis Highway to the local character of Massachusetts Avenue. This variation means you'll experience different driving dynamics throughout the 49.9 miles, keeping the journey engaging without being overly demanding.
33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.8 mi on Concord Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 around 0.1 miles in near Cambridge Street.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 49.9 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Garden Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (US 3; MA 2; MA 16 / Concord Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 21m. Total distance: 49.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (33%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.8 miles on Concord Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.09 in tolls one way, starting with Concord Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Ashby, 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: at 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.8 miles (Garden Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.2 miles (US 3; MA 2; MA 16 / Concord Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Ashby, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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