Best Time to Drive from Cambridge to Braintree

Right now (6:49 pm EDT): about 31 minutes via I-93 South and I-90 East, usually 27 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Cambridge to Braintree 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	24	29	38	36	32	28	27	28	35	45	50	45	36	25	22	23
Tue	20	24	31	43	42	37	31	27	28	36	47	55	53	46	30	24	23
Wed	20	24	30	44	43	38	31	28	29	38	52	58	58	48	32	25	24
Thu	20	24	31	42	41	37	31	28	30	41	55	62	63	50	35	27	24
Fri	21	23	29	37	34	32	31	32	36	48	59	62	53	40	31	25	22
Sat	20	20	20	21	22	26	31	34	36	38	39	39	33	31	27	25	22
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	23	27	30	33	34	34	34	30	27	27	24	24

About this drive

On weekdays the 17-mile drive from Cambridge to Braintree (via I-93 South and I-90 East) usually takes as little as 20 minutes and up to 64 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 31 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (40 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 19 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Cambridge (Ellery Street) to central Braintree (Washington 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 Cambridge to Braintree?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 20 minutes then, versus up to 64 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 17-mile drive usually takes 20 to 64 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 31 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Cambridge to Braintree?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 64 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-93 South in Boston (8 miles) · I-90 East in Boston (7 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Braintree to Cambridge (return trip) · Cambridge to Quincy · Cambridge to Newton · Cambridge to Framingham · Cambridge to Worcester · Cambridge to Lowell · Cambridge to Peabody · Cambridge to Andover · Cambridge to Brockton · Cambridge to Plymouth MA · Cambridge to Natick · Cambridge to BOS

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	24	29	38	36	32	28	27	28	35	45	50	45	36	25	22	23
Tue	20	24	31	43	42	37	31	27	28	36	47	55	53	46	30	24	23
Wed	20	24	30	44	43	38	31	28	29	38	52	58	58	48	32	25	24
Thu	20	24	31	42	41	37	31	28	30	41	55	62	63	50	35	27	24
Fri	21	23	29	37	34	32	31	32	36	48	59	62	53	40	31	25	22
Sat	20	20	20	21	22	26	31	34	36	38	39	39	33	31	27	25	22
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	23	27	30	33	34	34	34	30	27	27	24	24

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	24	29	38	36	32	28	27	28	35	45	50	45	36	25	22	23
Tue	20	24	31	43	42	37	31	27	28	36	47	55	53	46	30	24	23
Wed	20	24	30	44	43	38	31	28	29	38	52	58	58	48	32	25	24
Thu	20	24	31	42	41	37	31	28	30	41	55	62	63	50	35	27	24
Fri	21	23	29	37	34	32	31	32	36	48	59	62	53	40	31	25	22
Sat	20	20	20	21	22	26	31	34	36	38	39	39	33	31	27	25	22
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	23	27	30	33	34	34	34	30	27	27	24	24

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	20	24	29	38	36	32	28	27	28	35	45	50	45	36	25	22	23
Tue	20	24	31	43	42	37	31	27	28	36	47	55	53	46	30	24	23
Wed	20	24	30	44	43	38	31	28	29	38	52	58	58	48	32	25	24
Thu	20	24	31	42	41	37	31	28	30	41	55	62	63	50	35	27	24
Fri	21	23	29	37	34	32	31	32	36	48	59	62	53	40	31	25	22
Sat	20	20	20	21	22	26	31	34	36	38	39	39	33	31	27	25	22
Sun	20	20	20	20	21	23	27	30	33	34	34	34	30	27	27	24	24