Best Time to Drive from Natick to Boston

Right now (4:02 pm EDT): about 66 minutes via I-90 East, usually 57 at this time.

Only 49% 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.

On weekdays the 23-mile drive from Natick to Boston (via I-90 East) usually takes as little as 33 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 36 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 5 am on Sundays (33 minutes).

Freeway, about 11 miles: times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors. Surface streets, about 12 miles: 22 to 60 minutes on weekdays, estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time (we don't have street sensors yet). Drive times are measured from central Natick (West Central Street) to central Boston (Franklin Avenue) along the route shown. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Natick to Boston 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	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	42	42	45	51	57	61	57	37	35	46
Tue	33	45	66	88	85	64	44	38	39	47	57	63	63	63	36	33	33
Wed	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Thu	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Fri	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33

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 Natick to Boston?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 33 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Natick to Boston?

The 23-mile drive usually takes 33 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 36 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Natick to Boston?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Estimate this drive for any day and departure time →

Freeways on this drive

I-90 East in Boston (11 miles)

Boston traffic right now

More drives

Natick to Cambridge · Natick to Quincy · Natick to Lowell · Natick to Burlington MA · Natick to Braintree · Natick to Peabody · Natick to Andover · Natick to Brockton · Natick to Plymouth MA · Natick 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	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	42	42	45	51	57	61	57	37	35	46
Tue	33	45	66	88	85	64	44	38	39	47	57	63	63	63	36	33	33
Wed	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Thu	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Fri	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	42	42	45	51	57	61	57	37	35	46
Tue	33	45	66	88	85	64	44	38	39	47	57	63	63	63	36	33	33
Wed	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Thu	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Fri	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	42	42	45	51	57	61	57	37	35	46
Tue	33	45	66	88	85	64	44	38	39	47	57	63	63	63	36	33	33
Wed	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Thu	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Fri	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sat	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33
Sun	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33	33