Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
44.2 mi
71 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
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
Petersham, MA
Noland Live
Springfield, MA to Petersham, MA is 44.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 13 minutes via Massachusetts Turnpike and Hardwick Road, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. The route offers a straightforward drive that transitions from highway cruising to more local roads. It's a manageable distance, making it suitable for a quick trip or as part of a larger New England exploration.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 10.9 mi | 12m |
| Hardwick Road | 7.4 mi | 13m |
| Petersham Road | 4.9 mi | 8m |
| Springfield Expressway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Ware Street | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| Palmer Road | 1.9 mi | 4m |
| Upper Church Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 44 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,264 veh/hr typical · worst 3,890
Quietest
2 AM
~212 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Springfield, MA and Petersham, 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
Turn sharp left onto MA 32
Continue on MA 32
Continue on MA 32
Continue on MA 32
Continue on MA 32
Merge onto MA 9; MA 32
Turn left onto Church Street
Continue on Upper Church Street
At end of road, turn left onto MA 32
Continue on MA 32
Continue on MA 32
Continue on MA 32A
Continue on MA 32A
Continue on MA 32A
Turn right onto MA 32A; MA 122
Turn left onto MA 32
Turn slight left onto Common Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.1 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 0.2 and 18 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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 32: Palmer, Ware
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn sharp left onto MA 32 / Thorndike Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$7.37 one way
$14.75 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $8.12 | $16.24 |
| premium | $5.06 | $8.80 | $17.60 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $9.74 | $19.49 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.66
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.64 | $2.12 |
| Efficient EV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.87 | $1.77 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.7 | 0 | $6.19 | $2.83 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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 Friday
Local time
8:30 PM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Clear
Destination
Evening in Petersham on Friday
Local time
8:30 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Clear
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.
Your drive begins on the Massachusetts Turnpike, accounting for about 35% of the total mileage. You'll experience a stretch of 10.9 miles on the Turnpike before transitioning to surface roads like Hardwick Road and Petersham Road. Expect the feel of the drive to shift from consistent highway speeds to a more varied pace as you move onto local routes, likely with fewer exits and more community-level traffic.
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 0.2 miles in near Boland Way.
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.2 miles you will encounter 15 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 0.2 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; at 5.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Gently rolling terrain
Total Climb
1,335 ft
Total Descent
320 ft
Highest Point
1,081 ft
~44.2 mi in
Elevation Range
1,015 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Springfield, MA and Petersham, MA, road signs point toward Albany, Boston and Ware.
Albany
Boston
Ware
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
The Quabbin Valley is in Central Massachusetts, it consists of the Quabbin Reservoir and a number of small towns and settlements. Towns and villages in the area inckude: Barre, Belchertown, Hardwick (Including the villages of Gilbertville, Wheelwright and Old Furnace), Hubbardston, New Braintree, New Salem, Oakham, Pelham, Petersham, Ware.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 44.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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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