How far is Sterling, MA from Worcester, MA?

The driving distance from Sterling, MA to Worcester, MA is about 14.1 miles (22.7 km), with a travel time of about 00h 19m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 12.3 miles (19.8 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 38m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
14.12 mi
00h 19m
Flight
12.28 mi
19.76 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Sterling.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
12.28 mi
Kilometers
19.76 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
14.12 mi
Kilometers
22.73 km
Drive Time
00h 19m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 19m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Worcester
Wed, Apr 15, 4:20 PM EDT
Return by in Sterling
Wed, Apr 15, 4:39 PM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Sterling
2026-04-15T16:01
Arrive Worcester
Wed, Apr 15, 4:20 PM EDT
Route Timing
00h 19m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:19 AM to 7:19 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:52 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Sterling
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
West Boylston
MA

City in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States of America

From Sterling
7 mi
00h 09m
To Worcester
7.1 mi
00h 09m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
58°F
Overnight

Mostly Clear

Starts
Wed, Apr 15 3:00 AM EDT
Wind
7 mph W
Destination
81°F
Wednesday

Slight Chance Rain Showers

Starts
Wed, Apr 15 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
5 to 9 mph S

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Sterling and Worcester.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sterling and Worcester.

  1. 1

    Start on Meetinghouse Hill Road

    17 m · 2 sec · Meetinghouse Hill Road

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Main Street

    664 ft · 23 sec · Main Street

  3. 3

    Continue on Worcester Road

    1.1 mi · 2 min · Worcester Road

  4. 4

    Turn slight right onto Greenland Road

    907 ft · 22 sec · Greenland Road

  5. 5

    Continue on Muddy Pond Road

    1.1 mi · 2 min · Muddy Pond Road

  6. 6

    Continue on Dana Hill Road

    2401 ft · 1 min · Dana Hill Road

  7. 7

    Turn left onto Redemption Rock Trail

    1092 ft · 19 sec · Redemption Rock Trail

  8. 8

    Take the ramp slight right

    1781 ft · 43 sec

  9. 9

    Merge slight left

    8.5 mi · 10 min

  10. 10

    Keep slight right to continue on I 290 West: Auburn

    1933 ft · 37 sec

  11. 11

    Merge slight left

    2716 ft · 46 sec

  12. 12

    Take the exit slight right toward Ware, Framingham

    851 ft · 21 sec

  13. 13

    Turn right onto Lincoln Street

    1533 ft · 29 sec · Lincoln Street

  14. 14

    Turn right onto Lincoln Square

    48 m · 2 sec · Lincoln Square

  15. 15

    Turn left onto Main Street

    1 km · 1 min · Main Street

  16. 16

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Main Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Sterling and Worcester.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
16 steps
6 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
4
2 merges, 2 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
113.5 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
Redemption Rock Trail
9.06 mi · 64%
Worcester Road
1.15 mi · 8%
Muddy Pond Road
1.11 mi · 8%
I 290 West
0.88 mi · 6%
Main Street
0.76 mi · 5%
Dana Hill Road
0.45 mi · 3%
Longest Stretch

Redemption Rock Trail

Merge slight left

8.52 mi · 00h 10m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 19m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
00h 38m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+1.8 mi
12.3 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
West Boylston
00h 09m from Sterling
Leave By
7:52 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Mostly Clear leaving Sterling and Slight Chance Rain Showers near Worcester.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

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

The road trip is about 14.1 miles (22.7 km) and usually takes 00h 19m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

West Boylston is a useful midpoint, sitting about 7 miles from Sterling and 7.1 miles from Worcester.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 12.3 miles (19.8 km), while the road route adds roughly 1.8 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:52 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $1.95 one way or $3.89 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 4.4 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Mostly Clear around Sterling and Slight Chance Rain Showers near Worcester.

Stop Ideas Near West Boylston

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around West Boylston, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to West Boylston.

RAIL

Union Station

12 mi away
2 Washington Square
RAIL

Framingham station

32 mi away
417 Waverly St.
BUS

Nashua, NH

52 mi away
8 North Southwood Drive
RAIL

Route 128 station

55 mi away
50 University Ave

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Sterling and Worcester. Straight-line distance: 12.28 mi (19.76 km).

Sterling

#1 Sterling

Town in Massachusetts

Population8,166
Coordinates42.4375900, -71.7606300
Altitude153
CountryUnited States
Worcester

#2 Worcester

The second most populous city in Massachusetts.

Population184,570
Coordinates42.2625900, -71.8022900
Altitude147
CountryUnited States
Start: Meetinghouse Hill Road (-71.760618, 42.43763)
End: Main Street (-71.802507, 42.262637)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 23 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 28m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 21m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 16m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 14m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 12m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 10m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.5 gal
1.89 L · about $1.95
Round trip
$3.89
1 gal · 3.78 L
Estimated CO2
4.4 kg one way
Round trip: 8.9 kg / 20 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.89 $1.95 $3.89
Mid-grade $4.40 $2.20 $4.40
Premium $4.80 $2.40 $4.80
Diesel $4.49 $2.24 $4.49

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Massachusetts · Apr 15, 2026

There is no time difference between Sterling and Worcester. The current time is 16:01:10.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.