Traffic Predict
Best Time to Drive from Cambridge to Newton
Right now (2:20 am EDT): about 15 minutes via I-90 West and I-90 East.
Only 73% 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
| Leave | 5am | 6am | 7am | 8am | 9am | 10am | 11am | 12pm | 1pm | 2pm | 3pm | 4pm | 5pm | 6pm | 7pm | 8pm | 9pm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 12 | 12 | 15 | 24 | 22 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 19 | 20 | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| Tue | 12 | 12 | 16 | 30 | 32 | 21 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 23 | 27 | 29 | 16 | 13 | 13 |
| Wed | 12 | 12 | 17 | 30 | 31 | 21 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 18 | 26 | 29 | 29 | 19 | 13 | 13 |
| Thu | 12 | 12 | 16 | 27 | 28 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 19 | 27 | 32 | 32 | 18 | 13 | 13 |
| Fri | 12 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 23 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 18 | 13 | 13 |
| Sat | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 12 |
| Sun | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
About this drive
On weekdays the 9-mile drive from Cambridge to Newton (via I-90 West and I-90 East) usually takes as little as 12 minutes and up to 34 minutes, when leaving around 5:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 14 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (17 minutes).
Drive times are measured from central Cambridge (Ellery Street) to central Newton (Homer 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 Newton?
On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am. The drive usually takes about 12 minutes then, versus up to 34 minutes at the worst times.
How long does it take to drive from Cambridge to Newton?
The 9-mile drive usually takes 12 to 34 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 14 minutes midday.
When is traffic worst from Cambridge to Newton?
Leaving around 5:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 34 minutes.
Freeways on this drive
I-90 West in Boston (4 miles) · I-90 East in Boston (3 miles)
Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow
More drives
Newton to Cambridge (return trip) · Cambridge to Quincy · Cambridge to Framingham · Cambridge to Worcester · Cambridge to Lowell · Cambridge to Braintree · Cambridge to Peabody · Cambridge to Andover · Cambridge to Brockton · Cambridge to Plymouth MA · Cambridge to Natick · Cambridge to BOS