Origin
Shirley, MA
Late night in Shirley on Tuesday
Local time
5:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Shirley, MA to Cambridge, 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
57m
Distance
35.7 mi
57 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 2m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Shirley, MA
Renata Meneses
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 35.7-mile drive from Shirley to Cambridge, Massachusetts, is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 57 minutes. The route primarily utilizes MA 2 and the Concord Turnpike, with a significant 74% share of highway driving. Budgeting around $6 for fuel should cover this journey. Given its relatively short distance and focused highway profile, it's a straightforward transit rather than an exploration, making it ideal for a quick commute or a direct connection between these two points within the Northeast region. You won't need an overnight stay to complete this leg.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MA 2 | 15.4 mi | 22m |
| Concord Turnpike | 7.2 mi | 9m |
| Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2 | 3.5 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Lancaster Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Beacon Street | 1 mi | 3m |
| Shirley Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
MA 2
— 15.4 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Shirley, MA and Cambridge, MA.
1
Start on Chapel Street
75 ft
·
5 sec
·
Chapel Street
2
Turn right onto Porter Street
314 ft
·
19 sec
·
Porter Street
3
Turn left onto Front Street
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
·
Front Street
4
Continue on Main Street
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Main Street
5
Keep slight left at fork onto Lancaster Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lancaster Road
6
Continue on Shirley Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Shirley Road
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
8
Merge onto MA 2
15 mi
·
22 min
·
MA 2
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 2A
328 ft
·
4 sec
·
Elm Street
10
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Elm Street
11
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Concord Turnpike
12
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
13
Continue on MA 2
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Highway
14
Continue on MA 2
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
473 ft
·
13 sec
Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
Use the straight / left lanes.
16
Merge onto US 3; MA 16
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
Toward US 3 North, MA 16 East: Arlington, Medford
17
Turn right onto MA 2A
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Use the straight lane.
18
Turn left onto Somerville Avenue
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
Somerville Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
19
Turn right onto Beacon Street
1.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Beacon Street
Use the right lane.
20
Turn right onto Cooney Street
295 ft
·
12 sec
·
Cooney Street
21
At end of road, turn right onto Line Street
294 ft
·
19 sec
·
Line Street
22
Turn left onto Leonard Avenue
460 ft
·
19 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
23
Arrive at destination
Leonard Avenue
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.9 miles from Shirley, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 35.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Porter Street
Turn right onto Porter Street
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Front Street
Turn left onto Front Street
Navigation decision point
7
32.7 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / left lanes.
Toward MA 16 East, US 3 North: Medford, Woburn
6
33.1 mi into trip
|
~49m in
|
MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue
Turn right onto MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
Toward MA 2A East: Cambridge
6
35.6 mi into trip
|
~57m in
|
Line Street
At end of road, turn right onto Line Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.71 one way
$11.43 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $6.23 | $12.46 |
| premium | $4.82 | $6.78 | $13.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.88 | $15.76 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.75
Concord Turnpike
(3.7 mi)
$0.26
Cambridge Turnpike Rte 2
(3.5 mi)
$0.25
Concord Turnpike
(3.5 mi)
$0.24
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.75 | $1.71 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.00 | $2.28 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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 Tuesday
Local time
5:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Areas Of Fog then Cloudy
NE 5 to 9 mph
3% chance
Live forecast
59°F
Lexington, MA
18 mi in
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
10 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
57m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 57-minute drive. With 74% of the route on highways like MA 2 and Concord Turnpike, you'll encounter consistent speeds for long stretches. The longest uninterrupted segment on MA 2 covers 15.4 miles, allowing for a smooth, flowing drive. While the profile is predominantly highway, be prepared for potential traffic as you approach the Cambridge area, which is common for routes entering larger metropolitan zones. This drive is designed for efficient travel.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.4 mi on MA 2.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MA 2 and Concord Turnpike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Porter 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 14 decision points packed into just 35.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Porter Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 32.7 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 Shirley, MA and Cambridge, MA, road signs point toward Woburn and Medford.
Woburn
32.7 mi in
|
~48m
Medford
32.8 mi in
|
~49m
|
via US 3; MA 16
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 35.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.4 miles on MA 2. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.75 in tolls one way, starting with Concord 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: near the start (Porter Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Front Street): Navigation decision point; at 32.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Minute Man National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Adams 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 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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