Best Time to Drive from Worcester to Boston

Right now (6:20 pm EST): about 67 minutes via I-90 East, usually 51 at this time.

Only 65% 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 Worcester 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	46	51	72	79	64	54	51	51	51	54	59	66	65	55	48	48	52
Tue	46	54	93	101	79	61	53	51	51	54	60	71	76	62	50	48	51
Wed	46	53	85	98	79	61	54	52	53	57	70	78	81	67	51	49	52
Thu	47	54	82	92	75	59	53	52	53	59	71	83	86	69	53	48	53
Fri	47	49	57	60	55	52	53	55	61	69	80	84	80	71	56	50	49
Sat	47	46	47	47	47	49	53	55	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	48	48
Sun	46	46	45	46	46	47	49	51	55	53	53	53	52	51	50	49	52

About this drive

On weekdays the 45-mile drive from Worcester to Boston (via I-90 East) usually takes as little as 46 minutes and up to 102 minutes, when leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 54 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (58 minutes).

About 37 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 to 23 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Worcester (Main Street) to central Boston (Franklin Avenue) 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 Worcester to Boston?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 46 minutes then, versus up to 102 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 45-mile drive usually takes 46 to 102 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 54 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Worcester to Boston?

Leaving around 7:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 102 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-90 East in Boston (37 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	51	72	79	64	54	51	51	51	54	59	66	65	55	48	48	52
Tue	46	54	93	101	79	61	53	51	51	54	60	71	76	62	50	48	51
Wed	46	53	85	98	79	61	54	52	53	57	70	78	81	67	51	49	52
Thu	47	54	82	92	75	59	53	52	53	59	71	83	86	69	53	48	53
Fri	47	49	57	60	55	52	53	55	61	69	80	84	80	71	56	50	49
Sat	47	46	47	47	47	49	53	55	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	48	48
Sun	46	46	45	46	46	47	49	51	55	53	53	53	52	51	50	49	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	51	72	79	64	54	51	51	51	54	59	66	65	55	48	48	52
Tue	46	54	93	101	79	61	53	51	51	54	60	71	76	62	50	48	51
Wed	46	53	85	98	79	61	54	52	53	57	70	78	81	67	51	49	52
Thu	47	54	82	92	75	59	53	52	53	59	71	83	86	69	53	48	53
Fri	47	49	57	60	55	52	53	55	61	69	80	84	80	71	56	50	49
Sat	47	46	47	47	47	49	53	55	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	48	48
Sun	46	46	45	46	46	47	49	51	55	53	53	53	52	51	50	49	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	46	51	72	79	64	54	51	51	51	54	59	66	65	55	48	48	52
Tue	46	54	93	101	79	61	53	51	51	54	60	71	76	62	50	48	51
Wed	46	53	85	98	79	61	54	52	53	57	70	78	81	67	51	49	52
Thu	47	54	82	92	75	59	53	52	53	59	71	83	86	69	53	48	53
Fri	47	49	57	60	55	52	53	55	61	69	80	84	80	71	56	50	49
Sat	47	46	47	47	47	49	53	55	56	56	58	56	54	53	48	48	48
Sun	46	46	45	46	46	47	49	51	55	53	53	53	52	51	50	49	52