Origin
Malden, MA
Late night in Malden on Sunday
Local time
2:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Malden, MA to Worcester, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
46.4 mi
75 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 1m
★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Malden, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Worcester, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 46.4-mile drive from Malden, MA to Worcester, MA takes approximately 1 hour and 5 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. With a projected fuel cost of around $7, it's an economical journey within the Northeast region. The route is primarily highway-focused, suggesting a straightforward and efficient travel experience. You'll mainly be on the Massachusetts Turnpike, with brief stints on Grafton Street and Prospect Street as you approach your destination. This drive is ideal for a single day, requiring no overnight stops.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 34 mi | 40m |
| Grafton Street | 3.6 mi | 4m |
| Prospect Street | 1.1 mi | 3m |
| Fellsway | 1 mi | 1m |
| McGrath Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Middlesex Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Western Avenue | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Commercial Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Massachusetts Turnpike
— 34 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Malden, MA and Worcester, MA.
1
Start on this road
111 ft
·
11 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Ruing Court
81 ft
·
7 sec
·
Ruing Court
3
At end of road, turn right onto MA 60
334 ft
·
14 sec
·
Centre Street
4
Continue on MA 60
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Centre Street
Use the left lane.
5
Turn left onto Commercial Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Commercial Street
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto Medford Street
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
Medford Street
7
Turn left onto Highland Avenue
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Highland Avenue
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on Middlesex Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Middlesex Avenue
9
Turn left onto MA 28
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Fellsway
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on MA 28
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
McGrath Highway
11
Continue on McGrath Highway
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
McGrath Highway
Toward Washington Street
12
Turn right onto Washington Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Washington Street
13
Turn left onto Prospect Street
1.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Prospect Street
Use the straight lane.
14
Continue on Western Avenue
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Western Avenue
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Turn left onto Soldiers Field Road
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Soldiers Field Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
16
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 90: Mass Pike
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward I 90 West: Worcester
Use the slight right lane.
18
Merge onto I 90
34 mi
·
40 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 96
Toward MA 122: Millbury, Worcester
20
Keep slight left at fork
173 ft
·
10 sec
21
Turn left onto MA 122
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
Grafton Road
22
Continue on MA 122
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Grafton Street
23
Enter roundabout onto MA 122
123 ft
·
1 sec
·
Grafton Street
24
Continue on MA 122
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
·
Grafton Street
25
Continue on MA 122
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Grafton Street
26
Enter roundabout onto Front Street
277 ft
·
4 sec
·
Front Street
27
Continue on Front Street
427 ft
·
11 sec
·
Front Street
28
Turn right onto Foster Street
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Foster Street
29
Turn left onto Main Street
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Main Street
30
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.2 miles from Malden, 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 205 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 41 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Ruing Court
Turn right onto Ruing Court
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Commercial Street
Turn left onto Commercial Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
1.3 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Highland Avenue
Turn left onto Highland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 90 West: Worcester
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 90 West: Worcester
6
41 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Take the exit toward MA 122: Millbury, Worcester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 96
Toward MA 122: Millbury, Worcester
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.43 one way
$14.85 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $8.10 | $16.20 |
| premium | $4.82 | $8.81 | $17.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.24 | $20.49 |
Estimated Tolls: $2.04
Massachusetts Turnpike
(34 mi)
$2.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$2
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.9 | 0 | $4.87 | $2.23 |
| Efficient EV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.06 | $1.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.6 | 0 | $6.50 | $2.97 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Worcester, MA
Late night in Worcester on Sunday
Local time
2:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°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
1h 5m 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 highway-centric experience for about 73% of this trip. The majority of your miles will be spent on the Massachusetts Turnpike, including a significant uninterrupted stretch of 34 miles. As you get closer to Worcester, the route transitions from the high-speed turnpike to city streets like Grafton Street and Prospect Street. This shift signals the end of the freeway portion and the beginning of your approach into the urban environment.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 34 mi on Massachusetts Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Massachusetts Turnpike and Grafton Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Ruing Court.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 46.4 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: near the start (Ruing Court): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Commercial Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Worcester, MA
Full guide →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.
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 1h 5m. Total distance: 46.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 34 miles on Massachusetts Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $2.04 in tolls one way, starting with Massachusetts Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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: near the start (Ruing Court): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Commercial Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.3 miles (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Adams National Historical Park (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 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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