Origin
Dunstable, MA
Late night in Dunstable on Sunday
Local time
3:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dunstable, MA to Quincy, 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 7m
Distance
44.9 mi
72 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 12m
5 PM
1h 18m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dunstable, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Quincy, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 44.9-mile drive from Dunstable, MA, to Quincy, MA, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 7 minutes. The route primarily utilizes US 3, the Southeast Expressway, and the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, with 66% of the journey on highways. With an estimated fuel cost of $9, this is an economical option for a quick transition within the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive, perfect for those looking for efficiency rather than extensive sightseeing.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 18.7 mi | 23m |
| Southeast Expressway | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| John F. Fitzgerald Expressway | 3 mi | 4m |
| Interstate 93 HOV lane | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Newport Avenue Extension | 2.3 mi | 5m |
| Cambridge Road | 2 mi | 2m |
| Cambridge Street | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| Dunstable Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 18.7 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dunstable, MA and Quincy, MA.
1
Start on Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
2
Keep slight right at fork onto Lowell Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lowell Street
3
Continue on Dunstable Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Dunstable Road
4
Turn left onto Westford Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Westford Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward US 3 South: Burlington
6
Merge onto US 3
17 mi
·
19 min
·
US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
US 3
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
US 3
9
Merge onto I 95; US 3; MA 128
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
10
Take the exit onto US 3
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
US 3
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Merge onto US 3
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Cambridge Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
12
Continue on US 3
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Road
13
Continue on US 3
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Cambridge Street
14
Turn left onto Church Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Church Street
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto Bacon Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Bacon Street
16
Enter roundabout onto MA 38
37 ft
·
0 sec
·
Main Street
17
Continue on MA 38
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
Main Street
18
Continue on MA 38
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Winthrop Street
19
Enter roundabout onto MA 38
100 ft
·
4 sec
·
Winthrop Street
20
Continue on MA 38
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Winthrop Street
21
Turn left onto MA 16; MA 38
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Mystic Valley Parkway
22
Continue on MA 16
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Mystic Valley Parkway
Toward MA 16 East: Everett, Revere
23
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 93: Boston, Concord New Hampshire
24
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 93 South: Boston
Use the slight right lane.
25
Merge onto I 93
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 93
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
26
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate 93 HOV lane
Use the slight left lane.
27
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate 93 HOV lane
28
Merge onto I 93; US 1
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Southeast Expressway
30
Take the exit onto MA 3A
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
MA 3A
Exit 12
Toward MA 3A South: Neponset, Quincy
Use the slight right lane.
31
Merge onto MA 3A
0.1 mi
·
8 sec
·
Gallivan Boulevard
32
Take the exit onto MA 3A
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
MA 3A
33
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 3A
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Hancock Street
Use the slight right lane.
34
Turn slight right onto Newport Avenue Extension
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Newport Avenue Extension
Use the right lane.
35
Turn left onto Adams Street
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Adams Street
36
Turn straight onto Hancock Street
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Hancock Street
37
Turn left onto Coddington Street
265 ft
·
8 sec
·
Coddington Street
Use the left lane.
38
Turn left onto Faxon Avenue
362 ft
·
15 sec
·
Faxon Avenue
Use the left lane.
39
Arrive at destination
Faxon Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.5 miles from Dunstable, 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 295 decision points cluster between mile 20.8 and 41.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
20.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
US 3
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3 toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
7
23.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
US 3
Take the exit onto US 3 toward US 3 South: Winchester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
8
30.6 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 93 South: Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 93 South: Boston
8
41.2 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
MA 3A
Take the exit onto MA 3A toward MA 3A South: Neponset, Quincy
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 12
Toward MA 3A South: Neponset, Quincy
7
41.8 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
MA 3A / Hancock Street
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 3A / Hancock Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.19 one way
$14.37 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $7.84 | $15.67 |
| premium | $4.82 | $8.53 | $17.05 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.91 | $19.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.71 | $2.16 |
| Efficient EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18 | 0 | $6.29 | $2.87 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Quincy, MA
Late night in Quincy on Sunday
Local time
3:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
23 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 7m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 44.9-mile journey, with 66% of the route comprising high-speed roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.7 miles on US 3, offering a consistent pace. As you transition onto the Southeast Expressway and John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, the character remains predominantly highway, characterized by steady traffic flow and multiple lanes. This drive prioritizes directness, minimizing slower, more winding segments.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
39 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.7 mi on US 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 3 and Southeast Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 20.8 miles in near US 3.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.9 miles you will encounter 29 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 20.8 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.1 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Dunstable, MA and Quincy, MA, road signs point toward Peabody, Revere and Concord New Hampshire.
Peabody
20.8 mi in
|
~28m
|
via US 3
Revere
30.3 mi in
|
~43m
|
via MA 16
Concord New Hampshire
30.4 mi in
|
~43m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 7m. Total distance: 44.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 7m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.7 miles on US 3. 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 Quincy, 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 20.8 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.1 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Adams National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Lowell 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 Quincy, 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.
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