Origin
Melrose, MA
Late night in Melrose on Tuesday
Local time
4:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Melrose, MA to Waltham, 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
26m
Distance
13.7 mi
22 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 28m
3 PM
0h 29m
5 PM
0h 31m
8 PM
0h 25m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Melrose, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 13.7-mile drive from Melrose, MA to Waltham, MA is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 26 minutes. With a modest fuel cost of around $2, this route prioritizes local roads, making it a turn-heavy experience. The journey stays within the Northeast region and the state of Massachusetts. Given its brief duration and local road focus, it's ideal for a quick transit or an addition to a larger day's itinerary. No overnight stays are recommended for this particular segment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasant Street | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Waverley Oaks Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Lake Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Salem Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Powder House Boulevard | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Harvard Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| I 93 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Pleasant Street
— 2.7 mi, about 4m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Melrose, MA and Waltham, MA.
1
Start on Myrtle Street
184 ft
·
9 sec
·
Myrtle Street
2
Turn right onto West Emerson Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
West Emerson Street
3
Turn right onto Main Street
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
4
Turn slight right
132 ft
·
4 sec
5
Turn slight right onto Florence Street
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Florence Street
6
Turn right onto Pleasant Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Pleasant Street
7
Continue on MA 60
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Salem Street
8
Enter roundabout
0.2 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 93 South: Boston
9
Continue
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 93 South: Boston
10
Merge onto I 93
0.5 mi
·
40 sec
·
I 93
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 22
Toward MA 16 East: Everett, Revere
Use the slight right lane.
12
Continue on Mystic Valley Parkway Connector
466 ft
·
15 sec
·
Mystic Valley Parkway Connector
13
Continue on Harvard Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Harvard Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Continue on Warner Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Warner Street
15
Enter roundabout onto Powder House Boulevard
127 ft
·
2 sec
·
Powder House Boulevard
16
Continue on Powder House Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Powder House Boulevard
17
Turn left onto North Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
North Street
18
At end of road, turn right onto Broadway
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Broadway
19
Turn left onto Cleveland Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Cleveland Street
20
At end of road, turn right onto US 3; MA 2A
222 ft
·
12 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue
21
Turn left onto Lake Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lake Street
Use the straight lane.
22
Turn left onto MA 60
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Pleasant Street
23
Turn straight onto MA 60
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Trapelo Road
24
Turn left onto MA 60
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Waverley Oaks Road
Use the left lane.
25
Continue on MA 60
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Linden Street
26
Turn right onto US 20
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Main Street
Use the right lane.
27
Arrive at destination
US 20
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 4.4 and 11.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Enter roundabout toward I 93 South: Boston
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Toward I 93 South: Boston
8
5.2 mi into trip
|
~9m in
Take the exit toward MA 16 East: Everett, Revere
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 22
Toward MA 16 East: Everett, Revere
6
6.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
Powder House Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Powder House Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
7.2 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
Broadway
At end of road, turn right onto Broadway
Navigation decision point
6
11.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
MA 60 / Waverley Oaks Road
Turn left onto MA 60 / Waverley Oaks Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.19 one way
$4.39 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.39 | $4.78 |
| premium | $4.82 | $2.60 | $5.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.02 | $6.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
| Efficient EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.20 | $0.55 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Waltham, MA
Late night in Waltham on Tuesday
Local time
4:19 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
26m 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 on this route, with only a 4% highway share. The majority of your travel will be on Pleasant Street, Main Street, and Waverley Oaks Road. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be 2.7 miles on Pleasant Street. This drive offers a consistent experience of navigating local streets, rather than long, high-speed highway stretches, so be prepared for frequent adjustments in direction and speed.
Only 4% 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: 2.7 mi on Pleasant Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 4.4 miles in.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 13.7 miles you will encounter 15 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: at 4.4 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.3 miles (Powder House Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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.
On the drive from Melrose, MA to Waltham, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Revere along the way.
Revere
5.2 mi in
|
~9m
About the Cities
Arriving in Waltham, MA
Full guide →Waltham is a city in the American state of Massachusetts. It is 10 miles (16 km) west of central Boston on the Charles River, and 3 miles from the city limits to the east. Waltham is part of the Greater Boston conurbation; even so, it has a unique character compared to Boston's other suburbs, and is one of the most significant regional centers for employment, culture, education and food in the entire metro area. It is sometimes called "Watch City" because it was home to Waltham Watch Company. Many high-tech companies have made Waltham their home. It is also home to Bentley College and Brandeis University.
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 26m. Total distance: 13.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (4%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.7 miles on Pleasant Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 4.4 miles: Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 5.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.3 miles (Powder House Boulevard): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Salem Maritime 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 Waltham, 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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