Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
25.3 mi
41 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Worcester, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Boxborough, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Worcester to Boxborough is 25.3 miles and takes about 34 minutes via I 290 and I 495, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a straightforward drive primarily on major highways, making it ideal for a quick commute or a brief intercity hop. You won't need to worry about extensive planning for this one; it's designed for efficiency.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 290 | 11.5 mi | 13m |
| I 495 | 9.4 mi | 10m |
| Lincoln Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Hill Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Lincoln Square | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 124 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~3,664 veh/hr typical · worst 4,407
Quietest
2 AM
~244 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Worcester, MA and Boxborough, MA.
Start on Main Street
Turn right onto MA 9
Turn left onto MA 70
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 70
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 290
Take the exit
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
At end of road, turn left onto MA 111
Turn left onto Hill Road
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 24.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork onto MA 70 / Lincoln Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Take the exit toward I 495 North: Lowell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Take the exit toward MA 111: Boxboro, Harvard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
At end of road, turn left onto MA 111 / Massachusetts Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Hill Road
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$4.22 one way
$8.44 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $4.65 | $9.29 |
| premium | $5.06 | $5.04 | $10.07 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.58 | $11.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.66 | $1.21 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.21 | $1.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Night in Worcester on Friday
Local time
10:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Night in Boxborough on Friday
Local time
10:26 PM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Mostly Cloudy
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 drive is mostly highway, with 82% of the 25.3 miles on major expressways like I 290 and I 495. You'll experience a significant stretch of 11.5 miles on I 290 before transitioning to other highways. Expect a consistent flow of traffic typical of interstate driving, with frequent exits and merging. The final portion involves surface roads like Lincoln Street, signaling the end of the high-speed transit.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 290 and I 495. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in near MA 70 / Lincoln Street.
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 25.3 miles you will encounter 9 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 1.8 miles (MA 70 / Lincoln Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 23.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
661 ft
Total Descent
739 ft
Highest Point
599 ft
~7.2 mi in
Elevation Range
367 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Worcester, MA to Boxborough, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Harvard along the way.
Harvard
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
Founded 1680
Acton is a town in Massachusetts with a population of 24,000 in the 2020 census. Boxborough is a town with a population of about 6,000 (2020). Maynard is a town with a population of 11,000 (2020). Stow is a town with a population of 7,000 (2020).
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 34m. Total distance: 25.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). 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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