Best Time to Drive from Braintree to Cambridge

Right now (11:50 am EST): about 22 minutes via I-93 North, usually 36 at this time.

Only 75% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Braintree to Cambridge by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	37	46	55	50	41	33	28	28	32	38	39	37	36	28	21	21
Tue	19	37	50	61	56	47	37	28	27	32	40	41	44	43	31	22	21
Wed	19	36	48	60	56	47	38	31	29	34	41	44	45	43	33	22	22
Thu	20	36	47	57	54	45	37	30	29	35	44	47	47	44	35	23	22
Fri	19	31	37	41	39	37	39	38	37	43	49	49	46	43	37	23	21
Sat	18	19	19	20	21	30	38	40	41	41	42	38	37	35	30	23	22
Sun	19	18	18	19	20	24	32	36	39	38	36	33	30	29	28	25	23

About this drive

On weekdays the 16-mile drive from Braintree to Cambridge (via I-93 North) usually takes as little as 19 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (42 minutes).

About 14 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (6 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Braintree (Washington Street) to central Cambridge (Ellery Street) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Braintree to Cambridge?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 19 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Braintree to Cambridge?

The 16-mile drive usually takes 19 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Braintree to Cambridge?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-93 North in Boston (13 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Cambridge to Braintree (return trip) · Braintree to Boston · Braintree to Newton · Braintree to Waltham · Braintree to Framingham · Braintree to Worcester · Braintree to Lowell · Braintree to Burlington MA · Braintree to Woburn · Braintree to Dedham · Braintree to Peabody · Braintree to Andover

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	37	46	55	50	41	33	28	28	32	38	39	37	36	28	21	21
Tue	19	37	50	61	56	47	37	28	27	32	40	41	44	43	31	22	21
Wed	19	36	48	60	56	47	38	31	29	34	41	44	45	43	33	22	22
Thu	20	36	47	57	54	45	37	30	29	35	44	47	47	44	35	23	22
Fri	19	31	37	41	39	37	39	38	37	43	49	49	46	43	37	23	21
Sat	18	19	19	20	21	30	38	40	41	41	42	38	37	35	30	23	22
Sun	19	18	18	19	20	24	32	36	39	38	36	33	30	29	28	25	23

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	37	46	55	50	41	33	28	28	32	38	39	37	36	28	21	21
Tue	19	37	50	61	56	47	37	28	27	32	40	41	44	43	31	22	21
Wed	19	36	48	60	56	47	38	31	29	34	41	44	45	43	33	22	22
Thu	20	36	47	57	54	45	37	30	29	35	44	47	47	44	35	23	22
Fri	19	31	37	41	39	37	39	38	37	43	49	49	46	43	37	23	21
Sat	18	19	19	20	21	30	38	40	41	41	42	38	37	35	30	23	22
Sun	19	18	18	19	20	24	32	36	39	38	36	33	30	29	28	25	23

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	37	46	55	50	41	33	28	28	32	38	39	37	36	28	21	21
Tue	19	37	50	61	56	47	37	28	27	32	40	41	44	43	31	22	21
Wed	19	36	48	60	56	47	38	31	29	34	41	44	45	43	33	22	22
Thu	20	36	47	57	54	45	37	30	29	35	44	47	47	44	35	23	22
Fri	19	31	37	41	39	37	39	38	37	43	49	49	46	43	37	23	21
Sat	18	19	19	20	21	30	38	40	41	41	42	38	37	35	30	23	22
Sun	19	18	18	19	20	24	32	36	39	38	36	33	30	29	28	25	23