Best Time to Drive from Worcester to Cambridge

Right now (6:49 pm EDT): about 61 minutes via I-90 East, usually 46 at this time.

Only 63% 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 Cambridge 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	43	48	68	74	61	51	48	48	47	48	52	59	60	51	45	45	48
Tue	43	50	88	97	78	58	49	48	48	48	53	62	72	61	46	45	47
Wed	43	51	82	95	78	57	50	50	49	50	61	70	76	63	47	45	49
Thu	44	51	76	86	70	56	50	49	49	51	58	71	79	62	49	45	49
Fri	44	46	53	56	52	49	49	52	55	60	68	76	75	66	51	47	46
Sat	44	43	43	44	44	45	50	52	52	51	53	51	50	50	45	45	45
Sun	44	43	43	43	43	44	45	48	51	47	47	46	48	47	46	46	49

About this drive

On weekdays the 42-mile drive from Worcester to Cambridge (via I-90 East) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 97 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (53 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (12 to 24 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 Cambridge (Ellery 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 Worcester to Cambridge?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 97 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 42-mile drive usually takes 43 to 97 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Worcester to Cambridge?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 97 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-90 East in Boston (35 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Cambridge to Worcester (return trip) · Worcester to Boston · 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	43	48	68	74	61	51	48	48	47	48	52	59	60	51	45	45	48
Tue	43	50	88	97	78	58	49	48	48	48	53	62	72	61	46	45	47
Wed	43	51	82	95	78	57	50	50	49	50	61	70	76	63	47	45	49
Thu	44	51	76	86	70	56	50	49	49	51	58	71	79	62	49	45	49
Fri	44	46	53	56	52	49	49	52	55	60	68	76	75	66	51	47	46
Sat	44	43	43	44	44	45	50	52	52	51	53	51	50	50	45	45	45
Sun	44	43	43	43	43	44	45	48	51	47	47	46	48	47	46	46	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	48	68	74	61	51	48	48	47	48	52	59	60	51	45	45	48
Tue	43	50	88	97	78	58	49	48	48	48	53	62	72	61	46	45	47
Wed	43	51	82	95	78	57	50	50	49	50	61	70	76	63	47	45	49
Thu	44	51	76	86	70	56	50	49	49	51	58	71	79	62	49	45	49
Fri	44	46	53	56	52	49	49	52	55	60	68	76	75	66	51	47	46
Sat	44	43	43	44	44	45	50	52	52	51	53	51	50	50	45	45	45
Sun	44	43	43	43	43	44	45	48	51	47	47	46	48	47	46	46	49

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	43	48	68	74	61	51	48	48	47	48	52	59	60	51	45	45	48
Tue	43	50	88	97	78	58	49	48	48	48	53	62	72	61	46	45	47
Wed	43	51	82	95	78	57	50	50	49	50	61	70	76	63	47	45	49
Thu	44	51	76	86	70	56	50	49	49	51	58	71	79	62	49	45	49
Fri	44	46	53	56	52	49	49	52	55	60	68	76	75	66	51	47	46
Sat	44	43	43	44	44	45	50	52	52	51	53	51	50	50	45	45	45
Sun	44	43	43	43	43	44	45	48	51	47	47	46	48	47	46	46	49