Origin
Grafton, MA
Late night in Grafton on Sunday
Local time
12:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Grafton, MA to Gardner, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
36.3 mi
58 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 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 2m
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.
Grafton, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Gardner, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Grafton to Gardner, you are looking at a 34.5-mile journey through the heart of Massachusetts. This trip typically takes about 57 minutes to complete, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day excursion. You will navigate primarily via Worcester Street, Grafton Road, and Grafton Street rather than relying on major interstates. With a fuel budget of approximately $5, this is an incredibly economical route to manage. Because the entire drive remains within the Northeast, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the transition. It is a straightforward trip that fits easily into a morning or afternoon schedule without the need for an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 190 | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| Redemption Rock Trail | 4.8 mi | 7m |
| Grafton Street | 3.3 mi | 4m |
| Worcester Street | 3.2 mi | 7m |
| MA 140 | 3 mi | 4m |
| Redemption Rock Trail North | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Worcester Road | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| MA 2 | 2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 190
— 8.4 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Grafton, MA and Gardner, MA.
1
Start on MA 140
84 ft
·
9 sec
·
Worcester Street
2
Continue on MA 140
2.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Worcester Street
3
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 122
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Worcester Street
4
Continue on MA 122
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Grafton Road
5
Continue on MA 122
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Grafton Street
6
Enter roundabout onto MA 122
123 ft
·
1 sec
·
Grafton Street
7
Continue on MA 122
0.4 mi
·
33 sec
·
Grafton Street
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward I 290 East: Shrewsbury, Marlboro
9
Merge onto I 290
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
I 290
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Exit 19; 20
Toward I 190 North, MA 70: Sterling, Leominster, Burncoat Street, Lincoln Street
11
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 22
Toward I 190 North: Sterling, Leominster
12
Continue on I 190
8.4 mi
·
9 min
·
I 190
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 9
Toward MA 140: West Boylston, Princeton
14
Turn left onto MA 140
4.8 mi
·
7 min
·
Redemption Rock Trail
15
Continue on MA 140
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
16
Enter roundabout onto MA 31; MA 140
34 ft
·
0 sec
·
Redemption Rock Trail North
17
Continue on MA 31; MA 140
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Redemption Rock Trail North
18
Continue on MA 140
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Worcester Road
19
Continue on MA 140
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Hager Park Road
20
Continue on MA 2A; MA 140
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
State Road East
21
Take the ramp onto MA 140
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
MA 140
22
Continue on MA 2
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
MA 2
23
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Exit 86
Toward MA 68: Gardner, Hubbardston
24
Enter roundabout onto MA 68
17 ft
·
0 sec
·
Timpany Boulevard
25
Continue on MA 68
276 ft
·
5 sec
·
Timpany Boulevard
26
Continue on MA 68
402 ft
·
8 sec
·
Donlan Street
27
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 68
196 ft
·
3 sec
·
Donlon Street
28
Turn straight onto MA 68
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
29
Turn left onto City Hall Avenue
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
City Hall Avenue
30
At end of road, turn right onto Nichols Street
160 ft
·
6 sec
·
Nichols Street
31
Turn right
94 ft
·
7 sec
32
Arrive at destination
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 18.1 miles from Grafton, 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 6.9 and 35.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
6.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
MA 122 / Grafton Street
Enter roundabout onto MA 122 / Grafton Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
9.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward I 190 North, MA 70: Sterling, Leominster, Burncoat Street, Lincoln Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 19; 20
Toward I 190 North, MA 70: Sterling, Leominster...
7
9.4 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 190 North: Sterling, Leominster
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 22
Toward I 190 North: Sterling, Leominster
6
18.1 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward MA 140: West Boylston, Princeton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 9
Toward MA 140: West Boylston, Princeton
6
35.2 mi into trip
|
~55m in
Take the exit toward MA 68: Gardner, Hubbardston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 86
Toward MA 68: Gardner, Hubbardston
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.81 one way
$11.62 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $6.34 | $12.67 |
| premium | $4.82 | $6.89 | $13.79 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.01 | $16.03 |
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 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
| Efficient EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.45 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
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
Gardner, MA
Late night in Gardner on Sunday
Local time
12:15 AM
EDT
Current temp
38°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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
58m 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 demands your full attention behind the wheel. Unlike a monotonous interstate slog, this route features a 0% highway share, keeping you on local roads for the entire 34.5-mile duration. You will find that the path requires frequent navigation through varied local intersections rather than high-speed cruising. Since there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of highway, the rhythm of the drive changes constantly as you transition between road segments. This profile makes for a more engaged driving experience where you stay intimately connected to the local layout of the towns you pass through.
41% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
32 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.4 mi on I 190.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 6.9 miles in near MA 122 / Grafton Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
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 36.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.9 miles (MA 122 / Grafton Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,100 ft
378 ft
Total Climb
983 ft
Total Descent
394 ft
Highest Point
1,100 ft
~33.7 mi in
Elevation Range
722 ft
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 Grafton, MA and Gardner, MA, road signs point toward Marlboro, Leominster and Princeton.
Marlboro
7.3 mi in
|
~13m
Leominster
9.2 mi in
|
~16m
Princeton
18.1 mi in
|
~27m
About the Cities
Arriving 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 58m. Total distance: 36.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (41%). 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 8.4 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 Gardner, 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 6.9 miles (MA 122 / Grafton Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 9.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Gardner, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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