Origin
Stow, MA
Late night in Stow on Tuesday
Local time
5:07 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Stow, 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
22 mi
35 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
5 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 38m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 34m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Stow, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Worcester, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are traveling from Stow to Worcester, expect a straightforward 24.2-mile journey that typically takes about 29 minutes to complete. This trip is easily manageable as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stops along the way. You should budget approximately $3 for fuel, making it a very economical route within the Northeast. Because the distance is short, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure around your personal schedule. It is a practical, no-nonsense connection between these two Massachusetts locations.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 290 | 13.1 mi | 15m |
| Gleasondale Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Route 85 Connector | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Broad Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Wilkins Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Hudson Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Vila Do Porto Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 290
— 13.1 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Stow, MA and Worcester, MA.
1
Start on Crescent Street
150 ft
·
9 sec
·
Crescent Street
2
Turn right onto Library Hill Road
257 ft
·
9 sec
·
Library Hill Road
3
Continue on MA 62
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Gleasondale Road
4
Continue on MA 62
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Wilkins Street
5
Turn right onto MA 62
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
6
Turn left onto Vila Do Porto Boulevard
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Vila Do Porto Boulevard
7
Turn left onto Broad Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Broad Street
8
Continue on Broad Street
101 ft
·
3 sec
·
Broad Street
9
Enter roundabout onto MA 85
213 ft
·
3 sec
·
Washington Street
10
Continue on MA 85
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Washington Street
11
Turn straight
325 ft
·
12 sec
12
Continue on Hudson Street
0.4 mi
·
41 sec
·
Hudson Street
13
Continue on Route 85 Connector
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Route 85 Connector
14
Continue on I 290
13 mi
·
15 min
·
I 290
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
Exit 21
Toward Ware, Framingham
16
Turn right onto MA 70
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Lincoln Street
17
Turn right onto MA 9
158 ft
·
2 sec
·
Lincoln Square
18
Turn left onto Main Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
19
Arrive at destination
Main Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.4 — 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
|
Library Hill Road
Turn right onto Library Hill Road
Navigation decision point
3
4.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
Vila Do Porto Boulevard
Turn left onto Vila Do Porto Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
MA 85 / Washington Street
Enter roundabout onto MA 85 / Washington Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
20.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward Ware, Framingham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 21
Toward Ware, Framingham
4
21.4 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
MA 9 / Lincoln Square
Turn right onto MA 9 / Lincoln Square
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.52 one way
$7.04 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $3.84 | $7.68 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.18 | $8.35 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.86 | $9.71 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.92 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.08 | $1.41 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Late night in Worcester on Tuesday
Local time
5:07 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
4 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?
This 24.2-mile trek is strictly a turn-heavy local drive, avoiding highways entirely. You will spend your time navigating a series of local roads, including Library Hill Road, Gleasondale Road, and Wilkins Street. Because the highway share is zero percent, you should prepare for a consistent rhythm of turns rather than long, open stretches of pavement. The longest uninterrupted stretch is negligible, as you will be focusing on the winding nature of the local roads throughout the entire 29-minute duration.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.1 mi on I 290.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 290 and Gleasondale Road. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Library Hill Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 32m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Library Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (Vila Do Porto Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (MA 85 / Washington Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
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 Stow, MA and Worcester, MA, road signs point toward Ware and Framingham.
Ware
20.9 mi in
|
~30m
Framingham
20.9 mi in
|
~30m
About the Cities
Starting in Stow, MA
Full guide →Founded 1660
Top landmarks
- • American Heritage Museum — history, artillery, and aviation museum in Stow, Massachusetts, United States
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: 22 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.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.1 miles on I 290. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (Library Hill Road): Navigation decision point; at 4.8 miles (Vila Do Porto Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (MA 85 / Washington Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes — Minute Man National Historical Park, Lowell National Historical Park and Boston National Historical Park (4 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 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Worcester, MA
Explore more options from Stow, MA or browse trips ending in Worcester, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.