Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
18.6 mi
30 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Milton, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Milton, MA to Waltham, MA is 18.6 miles and takes about 32 minutes via Massachusetts Turnpike and Southeast Expressway, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and the state of Massachusetts. You'll experience a mix of highway driving and surface streets, making it a straightforward commute or quick connection between these two points. It's a practical option for anyone needing to travel between the two areas without a significant time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| Southeast Expressway | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Granite Avenue | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Edge Hill Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Pleasant Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Galen Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| John F. Fitzgerald Expressway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 75 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~4,100 veh/hr typical · worst 5,639
Quietest
2 AM
~577 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
7.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 47 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Milton, MA and Waltham, MA.
Start on Lodge Street
Turn left onto Pleasant Street
Continue on Edge Hill Road
Continue on Boulevard Street
Turn left onto Granite Avenue
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 93; US 1; MA 3
Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn left
At end of road, turn left onto Albany Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 90
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn slight right onto Centre Street
Continue on Galen Street
Turn sharp left onto US 20
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 7.4 and 15.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward South Station, Airport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward South Station
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
At end of road, turn left onto Albany Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Newton, Watertown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward Watertown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$3.30 one way
$6.60 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.90 | $3.59 | $7.17 |
| premium | $5.29 | $3.87 | $7.75 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $3.92 | $7.84 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.37
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.95 | $0.89 |
| Efficient EV | 4.7 | 0 | $1.63 | $0.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Milton on Wednesday
Local time
5:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Evening in Waltham on Wednesday
Local time
5:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This route is a mixed highway and surface road experience, with 57% of it on high-speed roadways. You'll cover a longest stretch of 6.1 miles on the Massachusetts Turnpike before transitioning to surface streets. Expect to encounter several exits and interchanges as you navigate the highway portions, followed by a change in pace on Main Street.
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 7.4 miles in.
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 13 decision points packed into just 18.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 8.4 miles (Albany Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
105 ft
Total Descent
166 ft
Highest Point
124 ft
Elevation Range
118 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Milton, MA and Waltham, MA, road signs point toward Station, Airport, Worcester, Newton and Watertown.
Station
Airport
Worcester
Newton
Watertown
Founded 1636
Milton is in the Greater Boston region of Massachusetts.
Top landmarks
Founded 1634
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 18.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (57%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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