Origin
Gardner, MA
Morning in Gardner on Tuesday
Local time
6:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gardner, MA to Worcester, MA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
28.8 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gardner, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Worcester, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling between Gardner and Worcester is a quick, straightforward journey covering 28.8 miles. You can comfortably complete this trip in about 44 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. With a modest fuel budget of approximately $5, the route is highly economical for those looking to move between these two Northeast locations. Because the drive is short, you don't need to worry about overnight logistics or complex travel planning. It serves as a practical, efficient connection within Massachusetts, allowing you to get where you need to go without significant time investment or high costs.
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 |
| Main Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| I 290 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Lincoln Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Nichols Street | 0.2 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 Worcester, 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
·
20 sec
Exit 21
Toward Ware, Framingham
21
Turn right onto MA 70
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Lincoln Street
22
Turn right onto MA 9
158 ft
·
2 sec
·
Lincoln Square
23
Turn left onto Main Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
24
Arrive at destination
Main Street
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
$4.61 one way
$9.22 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $5.03 | $10.05 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.47 | $10.94 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.36 | $12.72 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| Efficient EV | 7.2 | 0 | $2.52 | $1.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.03 | $1.84 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Worcester, MA
Morning in Worcester on Tuesday
Local time
6:13 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
3 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
44m 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?
This 28.8-mile trip offers a mixed driving profile, balancing highway speed with local road navigation. You will spend about 50% of your time on highways, utilizing a combination of I-190, MA-2A, and MA-2 to reach your destination. Expect a fairly standard commute, with the longest uninterrupted stretch occurring on I-190 for 8.5 miles. The experience transitions from smaller local roadways to larger interstate segments, providing a varied pace that keeps the drive from feeling overly monotonous. It is a functional, no-nonsense route that gets you from Gardner to Worcester with minimal fuss.
50% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 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 28.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
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.
About the Cities
Starting in Gardner, MA
Full guide →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
- • Miss Toy Town Diner
- • Elm Street Fire Station — historic fire station at 58 Elm Street in Gardner, Massachusetts, United States
- • Heywood-Wakefield Company Complex
Arriving in Worcester, MA
Full guide →Founded 1848
Explore fine arts, history, and take in a show in Worcester, a medium sized city in Central Massachusetts about an hour's drive west of Boston. Worcester's seven hills and their valleys contain top notch museums, nine colleges and universities, beautiful parks, and food from all over the globe.
Top landmarks
- • Clark University — American private university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts
- • Cathedral of Saint Paul — church in Massachusetts, United States
- • Worcester Academy — private high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
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 44m. Total distance: 28.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (50%). 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 Worcester, 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 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 Worcester, 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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