Origin
Jamaica Plain, MA
Late night in Jamaica Plain on Sunday
Local time
3:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Jamaica Plain, MA to Somerville, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
7.2 mi
12 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Jamaica Plain, MA
Phil Evenden
Somerville, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Jamaica Plain, MA to Somerville, MA is 7.2 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Jamaicaway/Riverway/Albany Street, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience rather than an open highway cruise. It's a straightforward trip perfect for a quick commute or a brief inter-city excursion, with minimal time commitment and cost.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Jamaicaway | 1.5 mi | 4m |
| Riverway | 1 mi | 2m |
| Albany Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| McGrath Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Cardinal Medeiros Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Highland Avenue | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Waverly Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Portland Street | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Jamaicaway
— 1.5 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Jamaica Plain, MA and Somerville, MA.
1
Start on Orchard Street
313 ft
·
13 sec
·
Orchard Street
2
Turn right onto Centre Street
167 ft
·
7 sec
·
Centre Street
3
Turn right onto Arborway
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Arborway
4
Continue on Jamaicaway
1.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Jamaicaway
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
Continue on Jamaicaway
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Jamaicaway
6
Continue on Riverway
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Riverway
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
Toward Beacon Street, Kenmore Square
8
Merge onto Park Drive
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Park Drive
9
Continue on MA 2
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Mountfort Street
10
Turn right onto MA 2
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
Carlton Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on US 20; MA 2
335 ft
·
15 sec
·
Commonwealth Avenue
Use the slight left lane.
12
Turn right onto MA 2
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Boston University Bridge
Use the right lane.
13
Turn slight right onto Brookline Street
304 ft
·
13 sec
·
Brookline Street
Toward Central Square
14
Turn right onto Waverly Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Waverly Street
15
Continue on Albany Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Albany Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
16
Continue on Portland Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Portland Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
17
Continue on Cardinal Medeiros Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Cardinal Medeiros Avenue
18
At end of road, turn right onto Cambridge Street
47 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cambridge Street
19
Turn left onto Warren Street
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Warren Street
20
Turn left onto Medford Street
0.2 mi
·
40 sec
·
Medford Street
21
Turn slight right
235 ft
·
12 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Continue on McGrath Highway
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
McGrath Highway
Toward Washington Street
23
Continue on McGrath Highway
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
McGrath Highway
24
Turn left onto Medford Street
332 ft
·
12 sec
·
Medford Street
Use the left lane.
25
Keep slight left at fork onto Highland Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Highland Avenue
26
Turn right
163 ft
·
12 sec
27
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 6.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Centre Street
Turn right onto Centre Street
Navigation decision point
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Take the exit toward Beacon Street, Kenmore Square
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Beacon Street, Kenmore Square
5
3.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
MA 2 / Carlton Street
Turn right onto MA 2 / Carlton Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
3.7 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
MA 2 / Boston University Bridge
Turn right onto MA 2 / Boston University Bridge
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
6.6 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Medford Street
Turn left onto Medford Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.15 one way
$2.30 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $1.26 | $2.51 |
| premium | $4.82 | $1.37 | $2.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.59 | $3.18 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| Efficient EV | 1.8 | 0 | $0.63 | $0.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.01 | $0.46 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Somerville, MA
Late night in Somerville on Sunday
Local time
3:35 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
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
22m 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 is a turn-heavy local drive with 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is about 1.5 miles on Jamaicaway. As you transition from Jamaicaway to Riverway and then onto Albany Street, you'll navigate more frequent turns and intersections typical of urban driving. The route is characterized by its local roads, requiring constant attention to traffic signals and lane changes.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 1.5 mi on Jamaicaway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Centre 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 7.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Centre Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (MA 2 / Carlton Street): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Jamaica Plain, MA and Somerville, MA, road signs point toward Kenmore Square and Square.
Kenmore Square
2.9 mi in
|
~8m
Square
3.9 mi in
|
~11m
|
via Brookline Street
About the Cities
Arriving in Somerville, MA
Full guide →Older Bostonians might still derisively call it "Slummerville", but today that tired old moniker couldn't be further from the truth. Packed with upwardly mobile professionals and longtime residents, Somerville is often voted an "All-America City" and the best-run city in Massachusetts. It would seem civically engaged folks can achieve uncommon results; and Somerville fosters an environment of cooperation like no other. Its 81,000 residents (2020) are quick to enjoy the fruits of their artistry, and you'll find top notch options for dinner, drinks, and dancing all in abundance within Somerville's borders. Lurking just to the south, big brothers Boston and Cambridge provide options and opportunities for many of Somerville's creative class residents.
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 22m. Total distance: 7.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 1.5 miles on Jamaicaway. 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 Somerville, 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 0.1 miles (Centre Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.5 miles (MA 2 / Carlton Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Adams National Historical Park and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area (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 Somerville, 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 Somerville, MA
More from Jamaica Plain, MA
More trips to Somerville, MA
Explore more options from Jamaica Plain, MA or browse trips ending in Somerville, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.