Origin
Waltham, MA
Late night in Waltham on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waltham, MA to Ashland, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
16.8 mi
27 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great 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 37m
10 AM
0h 34m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Ashland, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
This 16.8-mile journey from Waltham, MA to Ashland, MA is a quick one, taking about 31 minutes to complete. It's a straightforward drive primarily utilizing the Massachusetts Turnpike and local roads like Fountain Street and Concord Street. Given its short distance and brief duration, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. You can expect a modest fuel cost of around $3 for this drive. The experience offers a mixed drive, connecting two points within the Northeast region of Massachusetts without significant regional transitions.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Fountain Street | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Concord Street | 1.9 mi | 5m |
| South Street | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Cochituate Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| River Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Front Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Massachusetts Turnpike
— 5.7 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waltham, MA and Ashland, MA.
1
Start on US 20
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
Use the straight lane.
2
Turn left onto US 20
178 ft
·
3 sec
·
Weston Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left onto South Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
South Street
4
Continue on River Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
River Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Toward I 90, Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York
6
Keep slight right at fork
240 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 90 West, Mass Pike West: Warcester, Albany New York
7
Continue on this road
393 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
Toward I 90 West, Mass Pike West: Warcester, Albany New York
8
Continue on this road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
9
Merge onto I 90
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
10
Take the exit
285 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 117
Toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
Use the slight right lane.
11
Continue on this road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 117
Toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward MA 30 West: Framingham
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto MA 30
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Cochituate Road
14
Turn slight left onto MA 30; MA 126
0.4 mi
·
44 sec
·
Concord Street
15
At end of road, turn right onto MA 126
1.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Concord Street
16
Turn right onto MA 135
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Waverly Street
17
Turn right onto Fountain Street
2.1 mi
·
4 min
·
Fountain Street
Use the right lane.
18
Continue on Front Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Front Street
19
Turn right onto Concord Street
167 ft
·
9 sec
·
Concord Street
20
Turn right
114 ft
·
8 sec
21
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 3.2 and 14.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
3.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the ramp toward I 90, Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90, Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York
7
3.4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 90 West, Mass Pike West: Warcester, Albany New York
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 90 West, Mass Pike West: Warcester, Al...
8
9.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
Take the exit toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 117
Toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
7
10.6 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MA 30 West: Framingham
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward MA 30 West: Framingham
5
14.1 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Fountain Street
Turn right onto Fountain Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.69 one way
$5.38 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.93 | $5.86 |
| premium | $4.82 | $3.19 | $6.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.71 | $7.42 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.34
Massachusetts Turnpike
(5.7 mi)
$0.34
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.76 | $0.81 |
| Efficient EV | 4.2 | 0 | $1.47 | $0.67 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.35 | $1.08 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Ashland, MA
Late night in Ashland on Sunday
Local time
3:47 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°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
23 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
31m 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?
The drive features a mix of highway and local road driving, with 34% of the route on highways. You'll encounter a 5.7-mile stretch on the Massachusetts Turnpike, offering a chance for consistent speed. As you transition off the Turnpike and onto roads like Fountain Street and Concord Street, the character of the drive will change, likely involving more local traffic and varied speed limits. This blend means you'll experience both efficient highway travel and the more stop-and-go nature of suburban and local arteries.
34% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.7 mi on Massachusetts 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 around 3.2 miles in.
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 14 decision points packed into just 16.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Waltham, MA and Ashland, MA, road signs point toward Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York, Mass Pike West: Warcester and Framingham.
Mass Pike: Boston
3.2 mi in
|
~6m
Albany New York
3.2 mi in
|
~6m
Mass Pike West: Warcester
3.4 mi in
|
~6m
Framingham
9.9 mi in
|
~14m
About the Cities
Starting in Waltham, MA
Full guide →Waltham is a city in the American state of Massachusetts. It is 10 miles (16 km) west of central Boston on the Charles River, and 3 miles from the city limits to the east. Waltham is part of the Greater Boston conurbation; even so, it has a unique character compared to Boston's other suburbs, and is one of the most significant regional centers for employment, culture, education and food in the entire metro area. It is sometimes called "Watch City" because it was home to Waltham Watch Company. Many high-tech companies have made Waltham their home. It is also home to Bentley College and Brandeis University.
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 31m. Total distance: 16.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). 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 5.7 miles on Massachusetts Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.34 in tolls one way, starting with Massachusetts 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 Ashland, 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 3.2 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Ashland, 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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