Origin
Plymouth, MA
Evening in Plymouth on Sunday
Local time
5:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Plymouth, MA to Waltham, 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 8m
Distance
48.4 mi
78 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 3m
★
6 AM
1h 9m
8 AM
1h 20m
10 AM
1h 13m
12 PM
1h 12m
3 PM
1h 13m
5 PM
1h 19m
8 PM
1h 6m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Plymouth, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Plymouth, MA to Waltham, MA is 48.4 miles and takes about 1h 8m via Pilgrims Highway, MA 3, and Massachusetts Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Massachusetts, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive, mostly following major roadways that connect the two points efficiently. Given its relatively short duration, this route is ideal for a single-day excursion, allowing you ample time for your destination activities without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Pilgrims Highway | 27.5 mi | 34m |
| MA 3 | 8.4 mi | 11m |
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 6.1 mi | 8m |
| Main Street | 2.9 mi | 5m |
| Samoset Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Galen Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| US 44 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Court Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Pilgrims Highway
— 27.5 mi, about 34m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Plymouth, MA and Waltham, MA.
1
Start on MA 3A
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
Court Street
2
Turn left onto US 44
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Samoset Street
3
Take the ramp onto US 44
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
US 44
Toward MA 3 North: Kingston, Boston
4
Merge onto US 44; MA 3
27 mi
·
34 min
·
Pilgrims Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Continue on MA 3
8.4 mi
·
11 min
·
MA 3
Exit 43B
Toward I 93 North: Boston
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
7
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward South Station, Airport
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Toward South Station
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left
252 ft
·
15 sec
10
At end of road, turn left onto Albany Street
35 ft
·
1 sec
·
Albany Street
Use the left lane.
11
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 90 West: Mass Pike, Worcester
12
Merge onto I 90
6.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 127
Toward Newton, Watertown
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
268 ft
·
8 sec
Toward Watertown
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15
Turn slight right onto Centre Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Centre Street
16
Continue on Galen Street
0.5 mi
·
57 sec
·
Galen Street
Use the straight lane.
17
Turn sharp left onto US 20
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
US 20
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Plymouth, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 37.3 and 44.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
37.3 mi into trip
|
~49m in
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
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward South Station, Airport
7
37.8 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Keep slight right at fork toward South Station
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward South Station
7
38.3 mi into trip
|
~51m in
|
Albany Street
At end of road, turn left onto Albany Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
44.6 mi into trip
|
~1h in
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
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 127
Toward Newton, Watertown
7
44.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Watertown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward Watertown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.75 one way
$15.49 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $8.45 | $16.89 |
| premium | $4.82 | $9.19 | $18.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.69 | $21.37 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.37
Massachusetts Turnpike
(6.1 mi)
$0.37
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Tolls
$0
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.08 | $2.32 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.78 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Evening in Waltham on Sunday
Local time
5:55 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
22 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 8m 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?
This route offers a mixed drive experience, with 31% of it on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 27.5 miles on Pilgrims Highway, offering a more continuous journey before merging onto other main roads. The drive transitions between highways like MA 3 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, providing varied driving conditions. Expect a blend of faster-paced highway segments and potentially more varied local traffic as you approach your destination in Waltham.
31% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 27.5 mi on Pilgrims Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 37.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 37.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.3 miles (Albany Street): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Plymouth, MA and Waltham, MA, road signs point toward Station, Airport, Worcester, Newton and Watertown.
Station
37.3 mi in
|
~49m
Airport
37.3 mi in
|
~49m
Worcester
38.3 mi in
|
~51m
Newton
44.6 mi in
|
~1h
Watertown
44.6 mi in
|
~1h
About the Cities
Starting in Plymouth, MA
Full guide →Plymouth is on the South Shore of Massachusetts. Known as "America's Hometown," Plymouth is most famous for being the final landing place of the Pilgrims who arrived on board the Mayflower in 1620, after storms lead them away from their desired settlement, the Hudson River. The settlement they established, Plimoth Colony, was one of the earliest successful settlements of Europeans in North America. In addition to its obvious historical draws, modern-day Plymouth is a picturesque seaside town with a bustling summer resident population who come back year after year to enjoy its beaches, ponds, and forests. Although summer is Plymouth's peak tourist season, spring (before Memorial Day) and fall (after Labor Day) can be excellent times to visit. These bumper seasons are less crowded and certainly more comfortable temperature-wise.
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 1h 8m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 8m 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 27.5 miles on Pilgrims Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.37 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 Waltham, 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 37.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 37.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 38.3 miles (Albany Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Adams National Historical Park, Boston 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 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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