Origin
Gardner, MA
Late night in Gardner on Sunday
Local time
12:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
38°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gardner, MA to Grafton, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
59m
Distance
36.4 mi
59 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gardner, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Grafton, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Gardner to Grafton, this 36.4-mile journey is a straightforward trip that typically takes about 59 minutes to complete. Since the route avoids highways entirely, it serves as a reliable day trip that does not require an overnight stay. You can expect to spend roughly $6 on fuel for the excursion, making it a budget-friendly option for your schedule. Navigating through the Northeast, you will rely on local streets rather than high-speed interstates. This drive is ideal for those who prefer staying off the major thoroughfares and navigating local corridors at a consistent pace.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 190 | 8.5 mi | 10m |
| MA 2A | 5.7 mi | 11m |
| MA 2 | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| Redemption Rock Trail | 4.7 mi | 6m |
| Grafton Street | 3.7 mi | 4m |
| Worcester Street | 3.2 mi | 7m |
| Main Street | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Grafton Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 190
— 8.5 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gardner, MA and Grafton, MA.
1
Start on this road
94 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Nichols Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Nichols Street
3
Turn left onto Baker Street
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Baker Street
4
Continue on Willow Street
378 ft
·
13 sec
·
Willow Street
5
Turn right onto MA 68
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Main Street
6
Continue on MA 68
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Timpany Boulevard
7
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 68
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Timpany Boulevard
8
Enter roundabout
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
9
Continue
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
10
Merge onto MA 2
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
MA 2
11
Take the exit onto MA 140
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
MA 140
Exit 92
Toward MA 2A, MA 140 South: Westminster
12
Turn left onto MA 2A; MA 140
5.7 mi
·
11 min
·
MA 2A; MA 140
13
Enter roundabout onto MA 140
105 ft
·
2 sec
·
Main Street
14
Continue on MA 140
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
15
Continue on MA 140
4.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Redemption Rock Trail
16
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
17
Merge onto I 190
8.5 mi
·
10 min
·
I 190
18
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 290 West: Auburn
19
Merge onto I 290
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
I 290
20
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 21
Toward Ware, Framingham
21
Continue on Goldsberry Street
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Goldsberry Street
22
Continue on Summer Street
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
·
Summer Street
23
Enter roundabout onto Grafton Street
164 ft
·
2 sec
·
Grafton Street
24
Continue on Grafton Street
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Grafton Street
25
Continue on MA 122
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
Grafton Street
26
Enter roundabout onto MA 122
39 ft
·
0 sec
·
Grafton Street
27
Continue on MA 122
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Grafton Street
28
Continue on MA 122
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Grafton Road
29
Continue on MA 122
3.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Worcester Street
30
Arrive at destination
MA 140
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.2 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.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 27.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Baker Street
Turn left onto Baker Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
MA 68 / Timpany Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 68 / Timpany Boulevard
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
0.8 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Enter roundabout
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
6.3 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
MA 140
Take the exit onto MA 140 toward MA 2A, MA 140 South: Westminster
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 92
Toward MA 2A, MA 140 South: Westminster
6
27.7 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward Ware, Framingham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 21
Toward Ware, Framingham
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.83 one way
$11.65 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $6.35 | $12.71 |
| premium | $4.82 | $6.91 | $13.82 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.04 | $16.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
| Efficient EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Grafton, MA
Late night in Grafton on Sunday
Local time
12:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
64°F
Worcester, MA
18 mi in
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
1 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
59m 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 turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged behind the wheel. Because the highway share is 0%, you won't be dealing with the monotony of interstate cruising or high-speed traffic flow. Instead, your route relies on Nichols Street, Baker Street, and Willow Street to connect the two towns. The road demands your full attention due to the frequency of turns, offering a more technical experience than a typical highway commute. Since there are no long, uninterrupted stretches, the drive maintains a steady, localized character from start to finish.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.5 mi on I 190.
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 0.2 miles in near Baker 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 15 decision points packed into just 36.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Baker Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (MA 68 / Timpany Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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 Gardner, MA and Grafton, MA, road signs point toward Ware and Framingham.
Ware
27.7 mi in
|
~42m
Framingham
27.7 mi in
|
~42m
About the Cities
Starting in Gardner, MA
Full guide →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.
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 59m. Total distance: 36.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.5 miles on I 190. 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 Grafton, 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 0.2 miles (Baker Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (MA 68 / Timpany Boulevard): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 0.8 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes — Minute Man National Historical Park, Blackstone River Valley National Historical Park and Lowell National Historical Park. 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 Grafton, 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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