Driving from Boston Logan Airport
to Cape Cod

by Ruby
(USA)

Question: Your Cape Cod traffic information is VERY helpful.

If we want to avoid traffic altogether on Saturdays and drive into the Cape on a Friday, what's that traffic like?

What would be the best time to drive on a Friday? We'd be coming down from the Boston Logan airport.

Dee's Reply:

Hi Ruby -

Glad to hear my traffic information is helpful!

On a "normal" Friday during the summer, the drive from Boston to Cape Cod takes about 90 minutes, more or less.

When you're planning your drive, you'll have two things to be concerned with: (1) commuter traffic in and around Boston, and (2) commuter/vacationer traffic at the Sagamore Bridge coming onto the Cape.

To give yourself the best chance of avoiding traffic tie-ups in either place, I'd suggest that you leave Boston by 1:00 p.m. at the latest, if possible.

If you can do that, you'll miss the bulk of the afternoon commuter traffic in and around Boston. And barring any unusual traffic tie-ups on your route to Cape Cod, you should be at the Sagamore Bridge by around 2:30 p.m.

If it's not possible for you to leave Boston by very early afternoon, then your best option is probably to get on the road and out of the city as soon as you can, and head south.

(FYI: You could stay in Boston until early evening, have dinner there, and then drive to the Cape later in the evening. But if you have a rental car, hanging around in Boston might be more hassle than it's worth. Driving in downtown Boston can be challenging if you don't know the city well, and parking is expensive. That's why I prefer the option of getting out of the city and making your way here as soon as you can.)

Anyway ... if you'll be leaving Boston any time between 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., you might want to take the "scenic route" (Rt. 3A) south to Cape Cod and do a little sightseeing along the way. That way, you won't be arriving at the Sagamore bridge at the heaviest traffic time (i.e., between 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.).

Rt. 3A is the coastal route, and it goes through some gorgeous little seaside towns, including the historic town of Plymouth. Stop, see the sights, have some dinner, then get back on the road to the Cape around 8:30 p.m. By then, you should be okay with bridge traffic.

I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask!

Best Regards,

Dee