Origin
Somerville, MA
Late night in Somerville on Tuesday
Local time
4:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Somerville, MA to Ayer, 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
51m
Distance
30.7 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Somerville, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Ayer, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 30.7-mile drive from Somerville, MA, to Ayer, MA, is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 51 minutes. You'll primarily navigate via Concord Turnpike, Massachusetts Avenue, and Cambridge Turnpike, with about 40% of the journey on highways. With an estimated fuel cost of $5, this route offers a budget-friendly excursion within the Northeast region. The mixed drive profile suggests a blend of faster-paced sections and more local road experiences. It's a convenient option if you're looking for a relatively short, uncomplicated trip between two points in Massachusetts.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Concord Turnpike | 8 mi | 12m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 6.9 mi | 10m |
| Cambridge Turnpike | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Concord Highway | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Littleton Road | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Ayer Road | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Highland Avenue | 1.3 mi | 5m |
| East Main Street | 1.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Concord Turnpike
— 8 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Somerville, MA and Ayer, MA.
1
Start on this road
163 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Highland Avenue
1.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Highland Avenue
Use the straight / left lanes.
3
Turn left onto Dover Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Dover Street
4
Turn right onto MA 2A
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn left onto US 3; MA 16
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
Use the left lane.
6
Turn right onto MA 2
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Concord Turnpike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on MA 2
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Concord Highway
8
Continue on MA 2
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Cambridge Turnpike
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
3.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Concord Turnpike
10
Continue on MA 2; MA 2A
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Elm Street
11
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 111
407 ft
·
5 sec
·
Union Turnpike
12
Continue on MA 2; MA 111
0.6 mi
·
39 sec
·
Union Turnpike
13
Continue on MA 2; MA 111
6.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Continue on MA 2
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
George W Stanton Highway
15
Continue on MA 2
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Captain Isaac Davis Highway
16
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
Exit 112
Toward Littleton
17
Keep slight left at fork
214 ft
·
6 sec
Toward Littleton
18
Turn left onto Taylor Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Taylor Street
19
Turn right onto King Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
King Street
20
At end of road, turn left onto MA 2A; MA 110
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Ayer Road
21
Continue on MA 2A; MA 110
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Littleton Road
22
Enter roundabout onto MA 2A; MA 111
228 ft
·
3 sec
·
East Main Street
23
Continue on MA 2A; MA 111
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
East Main Street
24
Turn right onto MA 2A; MA 111
420 ft
·
6 sec
·
Park Street
25
Arrive at destination
MA 2A; MA 111
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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 30.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.3 miles from Somerville, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 24.8 — 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
|
Highland Avenue
Turn right onto Highland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue
Turn right onto MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
2.3 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway
Turn left onto US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
17.1 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
MA 2; MA 111 / Union Turnpike
Enter roundabout onto MA 2; MA 111 / Union Turnpike
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
24.8 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Littleton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward Littleton
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.91 one way
$9.83 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $5.36 | $10.72 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.83 | $11.66 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.78 | $13.56 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.83
Concord Turnpike
(4.1 mi)
$0.29
Concord Turnpike
(3.9 mi)
$0.27
Cambridge Turnpike
(3.3 mi)
$0.23
Union Turnpike
(0.6 mi)
$0.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.69 | $1.23 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.3 | 0 | $4.30 | $1.96 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Ayer, MA
Late night in Ayer on Tuesday
Local time
4:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°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
21 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
51m 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 drive experience on this route, with 40% of the journey utilizing highway speeds. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8 miles along Concord Turnpike, offering a period of consistent travel. As you transition between main roads like Massachusetts Avenue and Cambridge Turnpike, the character of the drive will likely shift, moving from more open highway conditions to potentially more urban or suburban settings. This blend means you'll experience varied road types and speeds throughout the 51-minute trip.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8 mi on Concord Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 early in the drive near Highland Avenue.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 30.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway): 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.
On the drive from Somerville, MA to Ayer, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Littleton along the way.
Littleton
24.6 mi in
|
~41m
About the Cities
Starting in Somerville, MA
Full guide →Founded 1630
Older Bostonians might still derisively call it "Slummerville", but today that tired old moniker couldn't be further from the truth. Packed with upwardly mobile professionals and longtime residents, Somerville is often voted an "All-America City" and the best-run city in Massachusetts. It would seem civically engaged folks can achieve uncommon results; and Somerville fosters an environment of cooperation like no other. Its 81,000 residents (2020) are quick to enjoy the fruits of their artistry, and you'll find top notch options for dinner, drinks, and dancing all in abundance within Somerville's borders. Lurking just to the south, big brothers Boston and Cambridge provide options and opportunities for many of Somerville's creative class residents.
Top landmarks
- • Mystic Valley Parkway — Historic road in Massachusetts
- • Alewife Brook Parkway — highway in Massachusetts
- • Martin W. Carr School
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 51m. Total distance: 30.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (40%). 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 8 miles on Concord Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.83 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 Ayer, 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 (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.6 miles (MA 2A / Massachusetts Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles (US 3; MA 16 / Alewife Brook Parkway): Lane positioning matters here.
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 Ayer, 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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