Origin
Newton, MA
Late night in Newton on Sunday
Local time
2:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newton, 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
18m
Distance
8.1 mi
13 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 17m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 22m
10 AM
0h 20m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 20m
5 PM
0h 22m
8 PM
0h 18m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newton, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 8.1-mile drive from Newton to Cambridge, Massachusetts, is easily manageable in about 18 minutes, making it a perfect single-day trip. You'll navigate a mix of highways and local roads, with 31% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost is a modest $1, so budget concerns are minimal for this quick hop within the Northeast region. Given its brevity, no overnight stay is necessary; you can complete this route and still have plenty of time for activities at your destination. It's a straightforward transit that gets you where you need to go efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Centre Street | 1.6 mi | 4m |
| Commonwealth Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| River Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Prospect Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Line Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cambridge Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Hampshire Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Massachusetts Turnpike
— 2.5 mi, about 3m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newton, MA and Cambridge, MA.
1
Start on Homer Street
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Homer Street
2
Turn slight right
144 ft
·
7 sec
3
Turn straight onto MA 30
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Commonwealth Avenue
4
Turn left onto Centre Street
1.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Centre Street
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on Washington Street
286 ft
·
6 sec
·
Washington Street
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Keep slight left at fork onto Washington Street
302 ft
·
6 sec
·
Washington Street
7
Continue on Saint James Street
181 ft
·
3 sec
·
Saint James Street
8
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 90 East: Boston
9
Merge onto I 90
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
10
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 131
Toward Allston-Brighton, Cambridge, Fenway Park
Use the slight left lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward Cambridge, Somerville, Fenway Park
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
12
Turn slight right onto Cambridge Street
180 ft
·
6 sec
·
Cambridge Street
13
Continue on River Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
River Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
14
Continue on Prospect Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Prospect Street
15
Turn left onto Hampshire Street
0.1 mi
·
33 sec
·
Hampshire Street
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on Cambridge Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Cambridge Street
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn right onto Line Street
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Line Street
18
Turn left onto Leonard Avenue
460 ft
·
19 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
19
Arrive at destination
Leonard Avenue
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 1.1 and 7.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Centre Street
Turn left onto Centre Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
2.8 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Washington Street
Keep slight left at fork onto Washington Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
8
5.6 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward Allston-Brighton, Cambridge, Fenway Park
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 131
Toward Allston-Brighton, Cambridge, Fenway Park
8
6.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Cambridge, Somerville, Fenway Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Cambridge, Somerville, Fenway Park
5
7.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
Hampshire Street
Turn left onto Hampshire Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.30 one way
$2.59 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $1.41 | $2.83 |
| premium | $4.82 | $1.54 | $3.08 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.79 | $3.58 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.15
Massachusetts Turnpike
(2.5 mi)
$0.15
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Tolls
$0
Total
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 2.8 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 | 2.4 | 0 | $0.85 | $0.39 |
| Efficient EV | 2 | 0 | $0.71 | $0.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.2 | 0 | $1.13 | $0.52 |
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
Cambridge, MA
Late night in Cambridge on Sunday
Local time
2:02 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
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
18m 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 mixed driving experience on this route, with about 31% of the total distance on highways. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be approximately 2.5 miles on the Massachusetts Turnpike, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. The drive transitions between faster highway sections and more localized streets like Centre Street and Commonwealth Avenue, requiring you to adjust your speed and attention accordingly. This blend means you won't be stuck in monotonous highway driving the entire time, but you'll also encounter some quicker segments.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 2.5 mi on Massachusetts Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 1.1 miles in near Centre Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 8.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 18m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.1 miles (Centre Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (Washington Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 5.6 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 Newton, MA and Cambridge, MA, road signs point toward Allston-Brighton, Fenway Park and Somerville.
Allston-Brighton
5.6 mi in
|
~10m
Fenway Park
5.6 mi in
|
~10m
Somerville
6.1 mi in
|
~11m
About the Cities
Starting in Newton, MA
Full guide →Newton is a city in Massachusetts and a western suburb of Boston. Newton is nicknamed "The Garden City" and is one of Boston's oldest suburbs, settled in 1630.
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 18m. Total distance: 8.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 2.5 miles on Massachusetts Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.15 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 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 1.1 miles (Centre Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.8 miles (Washington Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 5.6 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, 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 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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