Origin
Fitchburg, MA
Late night in Fitchburg on Sunday
Local time
12:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fitchburg, MA to Cambridge, 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 8m
Distance
42.3 mi
68 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 3m
★
6 AM
1h 8m
8 AM
1h 19m
10 AM
1h 12m
12 PM
1h 11m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 5m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fitchburg, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 42.3-mile drive from Fitchburg, MA, to Cambridge, MA, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 1 hour and 8 minutes. Primarily utilizing routes like Concord Turnpike and Cambridge Turnpike (Rte 2), about 61% of this journey is on highways, suggesting a relatively swift passage. With an estimated fuel cost of $7, this route offers an economical way to travel between two points within Massachusetts. You'll be sticking to the Northeast region for the entirety of your drive. Its straightforward nature makes it ideal for a quick commute or a short excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Turnpike | 21.5 mi | 29m |
| Captain Isaac Davis Highway | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2 | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Water Street | 2 mi | 3m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| North Main Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Beacon Street | 1 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Concord Turnpike
— 21.5 mi, about 29m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fitchburg, MA and Cambridge, MA.
1
Start on this road
118 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Main Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
3
Turn slight right
158 ft
·
5 sec
4
Turn right onto MA 2A
280 ft
·
8 sec
·
Water Street
5
Continue on MA 12
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Water Street
6
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 12
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Water Street
7
Continue on MA 12
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
North Main Street
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
9
Merge onto MA 2
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Concord Turnpike
10
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on MA 2
6.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Captain Isaac Davis Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on MA 2; MA 111
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Union Turnpike
13
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 2A
328 ft
·
4 sec
·
Elm Street
14
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Elm Street
15
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Concord Turnpike
16
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
17
Continue on MA 2
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Highway
18
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
473 ft
·
13 sec
Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
Use the straight / left lanes.
20
Merge onto US 3; MA 16
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
Toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medford
21
Turn right onto MA 2A
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Use the straight lane.
22
Turn left onto Somerville Avenue
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
Somerville Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
23
Turn right onto Beacon Street
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Beacon Street
Use the right lane.
24
Turn right onto Cooney Street
295 ft
·
12 sec
·
Cooney Street
25
At end of road, turn right onto Line Street
294 ft
·
19 sec
·
Line Street
26
Turn left onto Leonard Avenue
460 ft
·
19 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
27
Arrive at destination
Leonard Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 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 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Fitchburg, 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 5.3 and 42.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
5.3 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
MA 2 / Concord Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2 / Concord Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
39.3 mi into trip
|
~59m in
Take the exit toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
5
39.3 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway
Merge onto US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medford
Merge point - match speed before joining. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medfo...
6
39.7 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue
Turn right onto MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
6
42.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
|
Line Street
At end of road, turn right onto Line Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.77 one way
$13.54 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $7.38 | $14.77 |
| premium | $4.82 | $8.03 | $16.06 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.34 | $18.68 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.79
Concord Turnpike
(17.7 mi)
$1.24
Concord Turnpike
(3.7 mi)
$0.26
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
(3.5 mi)
$0.25
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
$7
Tolls
$2
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.92 | $2.71 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% 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
Cambridge, MA
Late night in Cambridge on Sunday
Local time
12:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°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 8m 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 drive for a significant portion of this trip, with 61% of the 42.3 miles on faster roads. The Concord Turnpike will be your main companion for a substantial stretch, offering an uninterrupted 21.5-mile segment. This means you'll encounter less local traffic and more consistent speeds for a good part of the journey. While the profile is predominantly highway, be prepared for potential shifts as you approach your destination in Cambridge.
61% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.5 mi on Concord Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Concord Turnpike and Captain Isaac Davis Highway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.3 miles in near MA 2 / Concord Turnpike.
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 42.3 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 5.3 miles (MA 2 / Concord Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 39.3 miles (US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Fitchburg, MA and Cambridge, MA, road signs point toward Woburn and Medford.
Woburn
39.3 mi in
|
~59m
Medford
39.3 mi in
|
~59m
|
via US 3; MA 16
About the Cities
Starting in Fitchburg, MA
Full guide →Fitchburg is a small city in central Massachusetts and is home to Fitchburg State University. Fitchburg's main attraction is the Fitchburg Art Museum, while in the Harry Potter universe, the city plays host to the Fitchburg Finches Quidditch Team.
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 1h 8m. Total distance: 42.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (61%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.5 miles on Concord Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.79 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 Cambridge, 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 5.3 miles (MA 2 / Concord Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 39.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 39.3 miles (US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Minute Man National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Adams 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 Cambridge, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Cambridge, MA
More from Fitchburg, MA
More trips to Cambridge, MA
Explore more options from Fitchburg, MA or browse trips ending in Cambridge, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.