Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 45m
Distance
73.7 mi
119 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$12
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Hyannis, MA
David Kanigan
The drive from Cambridge, MA to Hyannis, MA covers 73.7 miles and takes about 1h 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on MA 3, Mid Cape Highway, Pilgrims Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 31.4 miles on MA 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.29 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
36.9 miles from Cambridge, MA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 53m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MA 3 | 31.4 mi | 40m |
| Mid Cape Highway | 12.8 mi | 17m |
| Pilgrims Highway | 12 mi | 15m |
| Southeast Expressway | 8 mi | 10m |
| Iyannough Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| John F. Fitzgerald Expressway | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Cambridge Street | 1.6 mi | 5m |
| Barnstable Road | 0.9 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 224 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 Cambridge, MA and Hyannis, MA.
Start on Leonard Avenue
Turn left onto Cambridge Street
Continue on Cambridge Street
Merge onto MA 28
Continue on MA 28
Take the exit onto MA 3
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 left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MA 132
Enter roundabout onto Barnstable Road
Continue on Barnstable Road
Turn right
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 16 miles or 26m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 36.9 miles or 53m 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 26m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hyannis, MA than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Cambridge, MA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Cambridge, MA
This is one driving day of about 73.7 miles and 1h 45m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
37 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 16 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 36.9 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 69.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Cambridge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit onto MA 3 toward I 93 South: Quincy, Logan Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Merge onto I 93; US 1; MA 3 / John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
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 132: Barnstable, Hyannis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$12.29 one way
$24.59 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $13.54 | $27.07 |
| premium | $5.06 | $14.67 | $29.35 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $16.25 | $32.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$12
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$37–$62
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 25.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 22.1 | 0 | $7.74 | $3.54 |
| Efficient EV | 18.4 | 0 | $6.45 | $2.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 29.5 | 0 | $10.32 | $4.72 |
Gas CO2
26 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Cambridge on Friday
Local time
6:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Patchy Fog
Destination
Morning in Hyannis on Friday
Local time
6:18 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Patchy Fog
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.
73.7 mi in 1h 45m — 57% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: MA 3.
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.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 73.7 miles you will encounter 11 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 2.1 miles (MA 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.6 miles (I 93; US 1; MA 3 / John F. Fitzgerald Expressway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
393 ft
Total Descent
378 ft
Highest Point
194 ft
~57.9 mi in
Elevation Range
185 ft
Founded 1630
Cambridge is a city in Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston. It is renowned as the home of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both widely considered to be among the best universities in the world. The city's population was 118,000 in 2020; the fourth largest in the state.
Top landmarks
Hyannis is a village of Barnstable in Massachusetts on Cape Cod. It is the major commercial center including several malls and the regional air, bus and ferry terminals. It is most famous, however, for being the hometown of the Kennedy family.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 45m. Total distance: 73.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore more options from Cambridge, MA or browse trips ending in Hyannis, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.
