Origin
Southbridge, MA
Morning in Southbridge on Tuesday
Local time
6:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
39°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Southbridge, MA to Worcester, 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
32m
Distance
20.3 mi
33 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Southbridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Worcester, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling between Southbridge and Worcester, Massachusetts, is a straightforward 21.2-mile journey that typically takes about 31 minutes. Since this route is entirely local, you won't encounter any highway driving, making it a perfect candidate for a quick day trip. Budgeting roughly $3 for fuel should cover your needs for this short excursion within the Northeast region. Because the duration is so brief, there is no need to split this trip into multiple days. It serves as a practical, direct connection between these two Massachusetts towns, offering a no-fuss travel experience.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southbridge Road | 5.4 mi | 8m |
| I 290 | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| Worcester Road | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Worcester Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Southbridge Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Green Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Franklin Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Central Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southbridge Road
— 5.4 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Southbridge, MA and Worcester, MA.
1
Start on this road
115 ft
·
13 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
56 ft
·
5 sec
3
Turn right onto Central Street
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Central Street
4
Continue on Worcester Street
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Worcester Street
5
Continue on MA 169
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Southbridge Road
6
Turn right onto US 20
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Worcester Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
7
Continue on US 20
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
·
Southbridge Road
8
Enter roundabout onto US 20
111 ft
·
3 sec
·
Southbridge Road
9
Continue on US 20
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Southbridge Road
10
Continue on US 20; MA 12
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Southbridge Street
11
Continue on MA 12
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Southbridge Street
Use the left lane.
12
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
Toward I 290, I 395
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward I 290
14
Continue on I 290
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
I 290
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
Exit 17
Toward MA 122A: Kelly Square
16
Turn left onto MA 122A
423 ft
·
10 sec
·
Vernon Street
Use the straight lane.
17
Enter roundabout onto Green Street
205 ft
·
3 sec
·
Green Street
18
Continue on Green Street
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
·
Green Street
19
Continue on Franklin Street
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
·
Franklin Street
20
At end of road, turn right onto Main Street
135 ft
·
2 sec
·
Main Street
21
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 13.9 and 20.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
13.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 290
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 290
5
19.3 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward MA 122A: Kelly Square
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 17
Toward MA 122A: Kelly Square
6
19.5 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
MA 122A / Vernon Street
Turn left onto MA 122A / Vernon Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
19.6 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Green Street
Enter roundabout onto Green Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
20.2 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
Main Street
At end of road, turn right onto Main Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.25 one way
$6.50 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $3.54 | $7.09 |
| premium | $4.82 | $3.85 | $7.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| Efficient EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.84 | $1.30 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Worcester, MA
Morning in Worcester on Tuesday
Local time
6:49 AM
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
24 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
32m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route relies exclusively on surface roads like Central Street, Worcester Street, and Southbridge Road. Because the highway share is 0%, your focus will remain on navigating local traffic patterns throughout the 21.2-mile span. There is no long-distance highway cruising here, with the longest uninterrupted stretch being 0 miles on Central Street. You will find that the road demands your attention due to its frequent turns, providing a very different feel from a high-speed interstate corridor.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.4 mi on Southbridge Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 13.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 20.3 miles you will encounter 10 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 13.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 19.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 19.5 miles (MA 122A / Vernon Street): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Southbridge, MA
Full guide →Founded 1730
Southbridge is a town in southern Central Massachusetts, about 60 miles from Boston. Southbridge is a close-knit community with a downtown area of friendly small businesses. The area was initially inhabited by the Nipmuck and Mohegan tribes, with the Quinebaug River dividing their territories. In 1730, it was settled by Europeans. Water power from the Quinebaug River made Southbridge a good location for sawmills and gristmills in the 18th century, and textile mills in the 19th century. After the Civil War, many immigrants of Irish and French Canadian descent came to work and live there; by the 1930s they had been joined by Poles, Greeks, Italians and others.
Top landmarks
- • Simon Plimpton Farmhouse — historic house in Massachusetts, United States
- • Southbridge Town Hall — rathaus in Massachusetts, United States of America
- • Windsor Court Historic District — Southbridge, MA, listed on the NRHP in Massachusetts
Arriving in Worcester, MA
Full guide →Founded 1848
Explore fine arts, history, and take in a show in Worcester, a medium sized city in Central Massachusetts about an hour's drive west of Boston. Worcester's seven hills and their valleys contain top notch museums, nine colleges and universities, beautiful parks, and food from all over the globe.
Top landmarks
- • Clark University — American private university and liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts
- • Cathedral of Saint Paul — church in Massachusetts, United States
- • Worcester Academy — private high school in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
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 32m. Total distance: 20.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5.4 miles on Southbridge Road. 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 Worcester, 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 13.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 19.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 19.5 miles (MA 122A / Vernon Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Minute Man National Historical Park and New England National Scenic Trail. 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 Worcester, 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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