Best Time to Drive from Natick to Worcester

Right now (3:50 pm EDT): about 33 minutes via I-90 West, usually 36 at this time.

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

Minutes from Natick to Worcester 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	30	30	31	32	32	32	33	35	33	31	34	36	37	33	30	30	32
Tue	30	30	32	34	33	31	32	32	32	31	33	39	41	36	32	30	31
Wed	30	30	32	33	33	32	31	32	32	31	34	40	41	37	31	31	30
Thu	30	30	32	32	32	31	32	33	33	33	36	39	41	37	31	30	30
Fri	30	30	30	30	31	31	36	42	41	47	50	51	53	45	34	31	30
Sat	30	29	29	29	29	33	40	39	36	33	31	30	29	29	29	29	29
Sun	30	29	29	28	29	30	35	41	41	37	34	33	33	32	30	30	30

About this drive

On weekdays the 30-mile drive from Natick to Worcester (via I-90 West) usually takes as little as 30 minutes and up to 53 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays. The fastest times to leave are before 8:30 am or after 7 pm. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Sundays (42 minutes).

About 25 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 14 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Natick (West Central Street) to central Worcester (Main 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 Natick to Worcester?

On weekdays, leave before 8:30 am or after 7 pm. The drive usually takes about 30 minutes then, versus up to 53 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 30-mile drive usually takes 30 to 53 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Natick to Worcester?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Fridays is usually slowest, about 53 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-90 West in Boston (25 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Worcester to Natick (return trip) · Natick to Boston · Natick to Cambridge · Natick to Quincy · Natick to Lowell · Natick to Burlington MA · Natick to Woburn · Natick to Braintree · Natick to Peabody · Natick to Andover · Natick to Brockton · Natick to Plymouth MA

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	32	32	32	33	35	33	31	34	36	37	33	30	30	32
Tue	30	30	32	34	33	31	32	32	32	31	33	39	41	36	32	30	31
Wed	30	30	32	33	33	32	31	32	32	31	34	40	41	37	31	31	30
Thu	30	30	32	32	32	31	32	33	33	33	36	39	41	37	31	30	30
Fri	30	30	30	30	31	31	36	42	41	47	50	51	53	45	34	31	30
Sat	30	29	29	29	29	33	40	39	36	33	31	30	29	29	29	29	29
Sun	30	29	29	28	29	30	35	41	41	37	34	33	33	32	30	30	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	32	32	32	33	35	33	31	34	36	37	33	30	30	32
Tue	30	30	32	34	33	31	32	32	32	31	33	39	41	36	32	30	31
Wed	30	30	32	33	33	32	31	32	32	31	34	40	41	37	31	31	30
Thu	30	30	32	32	32	31	32	33	33	33	36	39	41	37	31	30	30
Fri	30	30	30	30	31	31	36	42	41	47	50	51	53	45	34	31	30
Sat	30	29	29	29	29	33	40	39	36	33	31	30	29	29	29	29	29
Sun	30	29	29	28	29	30	35	41	41	37	34	33	33	32	30	30	30

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	31	32	32	32	33	35	33	31	34	36	37	33	30	30	32
Tue	30	30	32	34	33	31	32	32	32	31	33	39	41	36	32	30	31
Wed	30	30	32	33	33	32	31	32	32	31	34	40	41	37	31	31	30
Thu	30	30	32	32	32	31	32	33	33	33	36	39	41	37	31	30	30
Fri	30	30	30	30	31	31	36	42	41	47	50	51	53	45	34	31	30
Sat	30	29	29	29	29	33	40	39	36	33	31	30	29	29	29	29	29
Sun	30	29	29	28	29	30	35	41	41	37	34	33	33	32	30	30	30