Origin
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Morning in Manchester-by-the-Sea on Sunday
Local time
6:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA to Cambridge, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
30.2 mi
49 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 46m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 58m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 30.2-mile drive from Manchester-by-the-Sea to Cambridge, Massachusetts, is designed for a single day, taking approximately 49 minutes to complete. Operating within the Northeast region of MA, you'll primarily navigate using the Yankee Division Highway and Broadway. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $5, this trip is an economical option for a quick excursion. The route is characterized by frequent turns, making it a more engaging local drive than a straightforward highway cruise. Given its short distance and duration, it’s perfectly suited for a day trip, allowing ample time for activities at your destination.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Yankee Division Highway | 13.7 mi | 18m |
| Broadway | 5.3 mi | 8m |
| Lynn Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Bennett Highway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| School Street | 1 mi | 1m |
| Newburyport Turnpike | 1 mi | 1m |
| Fellsway | 1 mi | 1m |
| McGrath Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Yankee Division Highway
— 13.7 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA and Cambridge, MA.
1
Start on Brook Street
336 ft
·
20 sec
·
Brook Street
2
Turn right onto Norwood Avenue
328 ft
·
15 sec
·
Norwood Avenue
3
Turn right onto Desmond Avenue
0.1 mi
·
34 sec
·
Desmond Avenue
4
Turn right onto School Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
School Street
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward MA 128 South
6
Merge onto MA 128
14 mi
·
18 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 63
Toward US 1: Danvers, Boston
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 1 South: Boston
Use the slight left lane.
9
Continue on US 1
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
Newbury Street
10
Continue on US 1
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
Broadway
11
Continue on US 1; MA 129
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Newburyport Turnpike
12
Continue on US 1; MA 129
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Broadway
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on US 1
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Newburyport Turnpike
14
Continue on US 1
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Bennett Highway
Toward Boston
15
Take the exit
273 ft
·
10 sec
Toward Lynn Street, Malden
Use the right lane.
16
Turn left onto Salem Street
330 ft
·
10 sec
·
Salem Street
17
Turn right onto Lynn Street
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Lynn Street
18
Turn left onto MA 99
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Broadway
19
Enter roundabout onto Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
227 ft
·
4 sec
·
Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
Toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
20
Continue on Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
Toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
21
Enter roundabout
179 ft
·
5 sec
22
Continue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
23
Merge onto MA 16
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
Revere Beach Parkway
24
Take the exit
307 ft
·
10 sec
25
Merge onto MA 28
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Fellsway
Use the straight lane.
26
Continue on MA 28
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
McGrath Highway
27
Continue on McGrath Highway
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
McGrath Highway
Toward Washington Street
28
Turn right onto Washington Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Washington Street
29
Turn left onto Prospect Street
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Prospect Street
Use the straight lane.
30
Turn right onto Concord Avenue
0.1 mi
·
35 sec
·
Concord Avenue
31
At end of road, turn left onto Concord Avenue
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Concord Avenue
32
Turn right onto Beacon Street
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Beacon Street
33
Turn left onto Cooney Street
295 ft
·
12 sec
·
Cooney Street
34
At end of road, turn right onto Line Street
294 ft
·
19 sec
·
Line Street
35
Turn left onto Leonard Avenue
460 ft
·
19 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
36
Arrive at destination
Leonard Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.1 miles from Manchester-by-the-Sea, 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 255 decision points cluster between mile 15.2 and 29.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
15.2 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Danvers, Boston
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 63
Toward US 1: Danvers, Boston
7
15.5 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 1 South: Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 1 South: Boston
7
22.9 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward Lynn Street, Malden
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward Lynn Street, Malden
6
26.1 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
Enter roundabout onto Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
6
29.3 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
Prospect Street
Turn left onto Prospect Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.83 one way
$9.67 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $5.27 | $10.54 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.73 | $11.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.67 | $13.34 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.05
Newburyport Turnpike
(0.7 mi)
$0.05
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.17 | $1.45 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.64 | $1.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Cambridge, MA
Morning in Cambridge on Sunday
Local time
6:29 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°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
19 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
49m 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' for this journey, with only a 5% highway share. While the Yankee Division Highway offers a stretch of 13.7 miles without interruption, the majority of your time will be spent on local roads, indicated by the frequent turns. This means you'll be adjusting your speed and direction often, making it a more interactive driving experience. The character of the route shifts from highway to more urban and local streets as you approach Cambridge.
Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
36 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.7 mi on Yankee Division Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 15.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 25 decision points packed into just 30.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 15.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA and Cambridge, MA, road signs point toward Boston, Malden and Somerville.
Boston
15.2 mi in
|
~22m
Malden
22.9 mi in
|
~34m
Somerville
26.1 mi in
|
~40m
|
via Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 30.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m 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 13.7 miles on Yankee Division Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.05 in tolls one way, starting with Newburyport 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 Cambridge, 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 15.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Salem Maritime 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 Cambridge, 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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