Origin
Cambridge, MA
Night in Cambridge on Friday
Local time
11:02 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cambridge, MA to Wakefield, MA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
21m
Distance
11.6 mi
19 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 25m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 22m
3 PM
0h 23m
5 PM
0h 25m
8 PM
0h 20m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Wakefield, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Cambridge, MA to Wakefield, MA covers 11.6 miles and takes about 21m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 93, Main Street, McGrath Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 3.8 miles on I 93. At current regular gas prices, budget about $1.94 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 93 | 3.8 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| McGrath Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Elm Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Albion Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Mystic Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Prospect Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Cambridge Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 93
— 3.8 mi, about 4m
Traffic on I-93
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 266 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~5,883 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~463 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
12.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 98 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cambridge, MA and Wakefield, MA.
1
Start on Leonard Avenue
267 ft
·
16 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
2
Turn left onto Cambridge Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Cambridge Street
Use the straight lane.
3
Continue on Cambridge Street
0.1 mi
·
36 sec
·
Cambridge Street
Use the straight lane.
4
Turn left onto Prospect Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Prospect Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Turn right onto Washington Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Washington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Turn left onto McGrath Highway
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
McGrath Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Take the exit
206 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 93, MA 38: Medford, Boston
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Toward I 93 North, MA 38 North: Medford, Concord New Hampshire
9
Turn straight onto MA 38
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Mystic Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 93 North: Lawrence, Concord New Hampshire
11
Merge onto I 93
3.8 mi
·
4 min
·
I 93
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Exit 25
Toward MA 28 North: Stoneham, Melrose
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto MA 28
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Fellsway
14
Continue on MA 28
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
15
Turn right onto Elm Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Elm Street
16
Continue on Albion Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Albion Street
17
Turn left onto North Avenue
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
North Avenue
18
Turn sharp right onto Church Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Church Street
Use the right lane.
19
Turn slight right onto Common Street
474 ft
·
15 sec
·
Common Street
20
Turn right onto Lafayette Street
238 ft
·
8 sec
·
Lafayette Street
21
Turn right
189 ft
·
16 sec
22
Turn right
73 ft
·
5 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 11.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cambridge Street
Turn left onto Cambridge Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Prospect Street
Turn left onto Prospect Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
2.1 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 93 North, MA 38 North: Medford, Concord New Hampshire
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 93 North, MA 38 North: Medford, Concor...
8
7.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward MA 28 North: Stoneham, Melrose
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 25
Toward MA 28 North: Stoneham, Melrose
6
11.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Church Street
Turn sharp right onto Church Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.94 one way
$3.87 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $2.13 | $4.26 |
| premium | $5.06 | $2.31 | $4.62 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $2.56 | $5.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.02 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Wakefield, MA
Night in Wakefield on Friday
Local time
11:02 PM
EDT
Current temp
57°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
4 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
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?
11.6 mi in 21m — 33% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 93.
33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.8 mi on I 93.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 17 decision points packed into just 11.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 21m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (Prospect Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
180 ft
12 ft
Total Climb
260 ft
Total Descent
172 ft
Highest Point
180 ft
~6.6 mi in
Elevation Range
168 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Cambridge, MA and Wakefield, MA, road signs point toward Boston, Concord New Hampshire and Melrose.
Boston
2 mi in
|
~5m
Concord New Hampshire
2.1 mi in
|
~5m
Melrose
7.1 mi in
|
~13m
About the Cities
Starting in Cambridge, MA
Full guide →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
- • Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology — museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- • Harvard Art Museums — art museums at Harvard University
- • Museum of Comparative Zoology — natural history museum at Harvard University
Arriving in Wakefield, MA
Full guide →Founded 1638
Wakefield, Massachusetts is a scenic town 12 miles north of Boston with a population of about 27,000 (2020). Wakefield has preserved much of its historic New England appearance and is recognized for its strong community involvement, quality school system, thriving businesses, public library, and for beautiful Lake Quannapowitt, which plays host to outdoor festivals and benefit activities each year. Lynnfield is a town with a population of 13,000 (2020).
Top landmarks
- • Charles Winship House — building in Massachusetts, United States
- • House at 90 Prospect Street — architectural structure
- • House at 88 Prospect Street — architectural structure
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 21m. Total distance: 11.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
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 3.8 miles on I 93. 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 Wakefield, 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 0.5 miles (Prospect Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Wakefield, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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