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Trip from Quincy, 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

25m

Distance

12.3 mi

20 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 24m ★
6 AM
0h 26m
8 AM
0h 30m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 27m
3 PM
0h 28m
5 PM
0h 30m
8 PM
0h 25m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States

Quincy, MA

Wikimedia Commons

city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States of America

Cambridge, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 12.3-mile drive from Quincy, MA, to Cambridge, MA, is a quick 25-minute trip perfect for a single day. The journey is budget-friendly, with an estimated fuel cost of just $2, and requires no overnight stays. You'll primarily navigate via the Southeast Expressway and the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway, making up about 51% of the route on highways. This is a straightforward drive within the Northeast region, connecting two points in Massachusetts. It offers a practical and efficient way to travel between these two urban centers without significant time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Southeast Expressway 3.3 mi 4m
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway 2.5 mi 4m
Newport Avenue 2.3 mi 4m
Cambridge Street 1.4 mi 4m
Hancock Street 0.5 mi 1m
MA 3 0.5 mi <1m
Charles River Dam Road 0.3 mi 1m
MA 3A 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Southeast Expressway — 3.3 mi, about 4m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Quincy, MA and Cambridge, MA.

1

Start on Faxon Avenue

362 ft · 17 sec · Faxon Avenue
2

Turn right onto Coddington Street

265 ft · 7 sec · Coddington Street
3

Turn right onto Hancock Street

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Hancock Street
Use the right lane.
4

Keep slight left at fork onto Adams Street

0.3 mi · 42 sec · Adams Street
5

Turn right onto Newport Avenue

2.3 mi · 4 min · Newport Avenue
Use the right lane.
6

Turn slight left onto MA 3A

0.3 mi · 33 sec · Hancock Street
7

Continue on MA 3A

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Neponset Avenue
8

Merge onto MA 3A

247 ft · 6 sec · William T. Morrissey Boulevard
Use the straight / left lanes.
9

Take the exit onto MA 3A

0.3 mi · 34 sec · MA 3A
Toward I 93 North, US 1 North: Boston
10

Merge onto I 93; US 1; MA 3

3.3 mi · 4 min · Southeast Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3

2.5 mi · 4 min · John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit onto MA 3

0.5 mi · 58 sec · MA 3
Exit 18 Toward Storrow Drive
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 15 sec
Toward MA 28 North: Leverett Circle, North Station
14

Keep slight left at fork

213 ft · 9 sec
Toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
15

Continue on MA 28

0.3 mi · 1 min · Charles River Dam Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Continue on MA 28

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Monsignor O'Brien Highway
Toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway, Somerville Use the straight lane.
17

Turn left onto Cambridge Street

1.4 mi · 4 min · Cambridge Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18

Turn right onto Line Street

0.2 mi · 51 sec · Line Street
19

Turn left onto Leonard Avenue

460 ft · 19 sec · Leonard Avenue
20

Arrive at destination

Leonard Avenue

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 10 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Hancock Street

Turn right onto Hancock Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
6
3.4 mi into trip | ~7m in | MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard

Merge onto MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
6
3.4 mi into trip | ~7m in | MA 3A

Take the exit onto MA 3A toward I 93 North, US 1 North: Boston

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 93 North, US 1 North: Boston
6
9.9 mi into trip | ~17m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MA 28 North: Leverett Circle, North Station

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward MA 28 North: Leverett Circle, North Stat...
8
10 mi into trip | ~18m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward MA 28 North: O'Brien Highway

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.97 one way

$3.94 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $2.15 $4.29
premium $4.82 $2.34 $4.67
diesel $5.61 $2.72 $5.43

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 4.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3.7 0 $1.29 $0.59
Efficient EV 3.1 0 $1.08 $0.49
EV Truck/SUV 4.9 0 $1.72 $0.79

Gas CO2

4 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (75% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Quincy, MA

Late night in Quincy on Sunday

Local time

2:02 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

25m 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 51% of it on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.3 miles on the Southeast Expressway, indicating some periods of faster travel. You'll also be on roads like Newport Avenue, suggesting a transition to more local streets as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll experience both the efficiency of highway driving and the more varied conditions of surface streets. The drive offers a dynamic feel, shifting between quicker segments and those requiring more attention to local traffic patterns.

51% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.3 mi on Southeast Expressway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 0.1 miles in near Hancock Street.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 14 decision points packed into just 12.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Hancock Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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.

Between Quincy, MA and Cambridge, MA, road signs point toward Station and Somerville.

Station

9.9 mi in | ~17m

Somerville

10.4 mi in | ~19m | via MA 28

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 25m. Total distance: 12.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

25m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (51%). 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 3.3 miles on Southeast Expressway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 0.1 miles (Hancock Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A / William T. Morrissey Boulevard): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 3.4 miles (MA 3A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 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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