Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
56.8 mi
91 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gardner, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Boston, MA
Wikimedia Commons
If you are looking to travel from Gardner to Boston, you are looking at a 62.3-mile trip that typically takes about 1 hour and 11 minutes. This journey is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as the distance is short enough that you will not need an overnight stay. You can expect to spend roughly $8 on fuel, making it a very budget-friendly transit within the Northeast region. Because this route avoids major highways entirely, it offers a different pace compared to typical interstate travel. It is a straightforward drive that connects you from the local roads of Gardner directly into the heart of Boston without any mandatory stops along the way.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Turnpike | 19.8 mi | 27m |
| MA 2 | 14.2 mi | 20m |
| Captain Isaac Davis Highway | 6.3 mi | 9m |
| Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2 | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| I 93 | 2 mi | 2m |
| Mystic Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Alewife Brook Parkway | 1 mi | 2m |
Step-by-step road directions between Gardner, MA and Boston, MA.
Start on this road
Turn left onto Nichols Street
Turn left onto Baker Street
Continue on Willow Street
Turn right onto MA 68
Continue on MA 68
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 68
Enter roundabout
Continue
Merge onto MA 2
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2
Continue on MA 2
Continue on MA 2; MA 111
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 2A
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
Continue on MA 2
Continue on MA 2
Continue on MA 2
Take the exit
Merge onto US 3; MA 16
Turn right onto Powder House Boulevard
Enter roundabout
Continue
Continue on Warner Street
Continue on Harvard Street
Turn right onto MA 38
Take the ramp
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 93
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road
Turn right onto State Street
Continue on Court Street
Turn left onto Tremont Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 28.4 miles from Gardner, 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 15.4 and 56.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2 / Concord Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Turn right onto Powder House Boulevard
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MA 1A Toll: Airport, Government Center
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Government Center
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$9.09 one way
$18.18 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $9.91 | $19.83 |
| premium | $4.82 | $10.79 | $21.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.54 | $25.08 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.67
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$2
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17 | 0 | $5.96 | $2.73 |
| Efficient EV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.97 | $2.27 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.7 | 0 | $7.95 | $3.64 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Late night in Gardner on Tuesday
Local time
4:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
58°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Late night in Boston on Tuesday
Local time
4:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Patchy Fog
59°F
Lexington, MA
28 mi in
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.
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate grind, this 0% highway route relies on navigating Nichols Street, Baker Street, and Willow Street to reach your destination. You will not find any long, uninterrupted highway stretches here, as the longest segment is 0 miles on Nichols Street, meaning the road constantly shifts. The personality of this drive is defined by its local character, requiring your full attention as you transition from the Gardner area toward the city. It is a technical, winding experience that feels far more personal than a standard high-speed commute.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Concord Turnpike and MA 2. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 15.4 miles in near MA 2 / Concord Turnpike.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 56.8 miles you will encounter 20 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 15.4 miles (MA 2 / Concord Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 49.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 50.4 miles (Powder House Boulevard): Lane positioning matters here.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Gardner, MA and Boston, MA, road signs point toward Woburn and Medford.
Woburn
Medford
Founded 1764
Gardner is a city of 21,000 people (2019) in Massachusetts. Gardner is known as the "Chair City" and "The Furniture Capital of New England", due to its long history in furniture production.
Top landmarks
A city of history and tradition, Boston offers a proud legacy of culture, education, and numerous sporting championships. The "shining city on a hill"s independent spirit has been displayed to the world ever since colonists were angry over a British tax on their beloved tea and dumped shiploads of it into the harbor in protest. In the early 1600s, the peninsula in Massachusetts that would become known as Boston was controlled by Native Americans until John Smith (English soldier, explorer, colonial governor, Admiral of New England, and author) named the area New England to attract European settlers. Boston was founded in 1630 by John Winthrop, making it one of the oldest cities in the U.S. No other American city has made more of an effort to preserve its history, and you'll find buildings that pre-date the republic dotted throughout the region.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 27m. Total distance: 56.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (72%). 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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