Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 21m
Distance
61.4 mi
99 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Springfield, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Northborough, MA
Phil Evenden
Springfield, MA to Northborough, MA is 61.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 21 minutes via Massachusetts Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region and entirely within Massachusetts, making it a straightforward hop. You'll spend most of your time on the highway, so expect a smooth, efficient drive. With a low fuel cost and short duration, this route is ideal for a quick transit or a day trip with plenty of time for activities at your destination.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 44.6 mi | 51m |
| Hartford Turnpike | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| Springfield Expressway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Southwest Cutoff | 2.5 mi | 4m |
| West Main Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Chestnut Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Grafton Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Grafton Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 22 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,318 veh/hr typical · worst 3,857
Quietest
2 AM
~203 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Springfield, MA and Northborough, MA.
Start on City Hall Place
Continue on Pynchon Street
Turn right onto East Columbus Avenue
Turn right onto Boland Way
Continue on Harrison Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Chestnut Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 291; US 20
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 90
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto MA 122
Continue on MA 122
Take the exit
Merge onto US 20
Continue on US 20
Continue on US 20
Continue on US 20
Continue on US 20
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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.
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 30.7 miles from Springfield, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 51.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto East Columbus Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto Boland Way
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 90 Toll: Boston, Albany
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 90 East Toll: Worcester, Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward MA 122: Millbury, Worcester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$10.89 one way
$21.78 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.90 | $11.84 | $23.68 |
| premium | $5.29 | $12.79 | $25.58 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $12.93 | $25.87 |
Estimated Tolls: $3.00
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Tolls
$3
Total
$14
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.4 | 0 | $6.45 | $2.95 |
| Efficient EV | 15.4 | 0 | $5.37 | $2.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.6 | 0 | $8.60 | $3.93 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Springfield on Wednesday
Local time
5:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Evening in Northborough on Wednesday
Local time
5:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route is predominantly highway driving, with 87% of the miles on high-speed roads. You'll encounter the longest continuous stretch of highway at 44.6 miles along the Massachusetts Turnpike. After that, the profile shifts to more surface roads for the remaining portion of the trip. Expect a relatively dense number of exits as you approach Northborough, so stay alert for your final turn-offs.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Massachusetts Turnpike and Hartford Turnpike. 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 East Columbus Avenue.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 61.4 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.1 miles (East Columbus Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Boland Way): Lane positioning matters here; at 5.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
824 ft
Total Descent
590 ft
Highest Point
802 ft
~26.3 mi in
Elevation Range
736 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Springfield, MA and Northborough, MA, road signs point toward Albany, Boston and Worcester.
Albany
Boston
Worcester
Founded 1636
Springfield is the largest city on the Connecticut River, in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts, USA. It sits 24 miles (40 km) north of Hartford, Connecticut, and 5 miles (8 km) north of the Connecticut state line. Springfield and Hartford are the principal cities in the Knowledge Corridor - the second largest urban region in New England with 1.9 million people, 29 universities and colleges, and 120,000 university students.
Top landmarks
Founded 1672
The Boroughs are a collection of three towns (Westborough, Northborough, and Southborough) in the Worcester County region of Central Massachusetts in the United States of America. The area is home to around 45,000 people.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 21m. Total distance: 61.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 21m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (87%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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