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Major city · United States

WalthamWatch City

Base here only if you have a reason (Brandeis, a Route 128 office, cheaper Boston beds): 1 night, and use the Fitchburg commuter rail into Boston.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Waltham sits 16 km west of central Boston on the Charles River, inside the Greater Boston conurbation but with its own centre: Moody Street's restaurant strip, a watch-and-textile industrial history, and two universities. It is a working city, not a sightseeing one. Come for a specific reason — a campus visit, a cheaper hotel near the Route 128 corridor, or a half-day on the Charles River Museum and Gore Place — and treat Boston as the main event.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
USD
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jan–Feb (cold, snow), late Jun–Aug (humid)
Airport
BOS
Nights
1
Rules in force · 7Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs …Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but ta…
  • North America ↗Crossing between the US, Canada and Mexico by land needs your passport even on a day trip; rental cars need the company's written permission to cross, and most US and Canadian rental insurance stops at the Mexican border.
  • North America ↗Cannabis is legal in Canada and in many US states, but taking any amount across the US, Canadian or Mexican border is a federal crime — including edibles and vapes.
  • North America ↗The busiest US and Canadian national parks need timed-entry, campsite or lodge reservations in summer; release dates are months ahead.
  • United States ↗Check whether you need an ESTA (Visa Waiver Program) or a visa on the official CBP and State Department sites; apply only through esta.cbp.dhs.gov, not third-party sites, and allow time before you book.
  • United States ↗Several popular national parks use timed-entry or vehicle reservations in peak season; check each park's page on nps.gov and book on recreation.gov before fixing your dates.
  • United States ↗Medical care is very expensive for visitors; buy travel insurance with high medical cover before you fly.
  • United States ↗Tipping is expected: about 15–20% at sit-down restaurants and bars, and a tip for taxis, hotel staff and guides.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Waltham911 ▾
  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Waltham, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee$3–6
  • Sit-down mealDinner, mid-range, per person$25–45
  • Street or quick mealDeli sandwich$10–16
  • BeerDraught beer$7–10
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi, Riverside to Waltham (5 km (3.1 mi))$15–22
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Gore Place)check current hours and price$16
  • Budget bedSuite (up to 4), a night, per roomUS$200
  • Mid-range bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$200
  • High-end bedChain-hotel double room, a night, per roomUS$350

A day, not counting the bed: Budget US$90 · Mid US$160 · High US$300

Prices in local money; change the currency in the header to see yours next to them. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Waltham Watch Company and 'Watch City'Moody Street restaurantsCharles River Museum of Industry & InnovationGore PlaceBrandeis University and Bentley University
Airports
BOS Logan International (About 20–30 min east by car or taxi outside rush hour; MBTA to North Station then the Fitchburg commuter rail to Waltham)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    2°C (36°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    3°C (37°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    8°C (46°F)

  4. Apr

    not flagged

    14°C (57°F)

  5. May

    Best

    20°C (68°F)

  6. Jun

    Care*

    25°C (77°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    28°C (82°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    27°C (81°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    23°C (73°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    17°C (63°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    11°C (52°F)

  12. Dec

    not flagged

    5°C (41°F)

Best: May, Sep–Oct. Mixed: Jun. Avoid: Jan–Feb, Jul–Aug. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (28°C (82°F)), coolest Jan (−7°C (19°F) low), wettest May (12 rain days), driest Aug (9). Averages, not a forecast.

* only part of the month (early, mid or late).

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Waltham: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

2°C (36°F)

−7°C (19°F)

11 rd

Feb

3°C (37°F)

−6°C (21°F)

10 rd

Mar

8°C (46°F)

−2°C (28°F)

11 rd

Apr

14°C (57°F)

4°C (39°F)

11 rd

May

20°C (68°F)

9°C (48°F)

12 rd

Jun

25°C (77°F)

14°C (57°F)

11 rd

Jul

28°C (82°F)

18°C (64°F)

10 rd

Aug

27°C (81°F)

17°C (63°F)

9 rd

Sep

23°C (73°F)

13°C (55°F)

9 rd

Oct

17°C (63°F)

7°C (45°F)

10 rd

Nov

11°C (52°F)

2°C (36°F)

10 rd

Dec

5°C (41°F)

−4°C (25°F)

11 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

No MBTA subway station in Waltham. The Fitchburg commuter rail line serves Waltham and Brandeis/Roberts stations into North Station, Boston; MBTA buses 70, 553, 554, 556, 558 and express 505 cover the city and Cambridge/Boston. Riverside (Green Line D) is about 5 km away — a short taxi ride. A car is the easy option: most of the city is 15–20 min away, but rush hour (16:30–18:30) adds 10–15 min, worst on Main Street.

Nearest full guides

Straight-line distance, not travel time

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Bostongo

Door to door: About 40–60 min

Fitchburg commuter rail from Waltham station to North Station, or bus 505

The main reason to stay here; trains run several times daily (check timetable).

Cambridge, Massachusetts

go

Door to door: About 45–60 min

MBTA bus 70 from Waltham Common to Central Square

Bus is cheap and reliable but crowded at rush hour.

Lexington, Massachusetts

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Car via I-95/Route 128 north, about 15–20 min

Best with a car; pairs with a Concord stop.

Newton

caution

Door to door: About 30 min

Car or bus along Route 16, about 15 min

Suburban and spread out; only worth it for a specific stop.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Moody Street / downtown

Walk to dinner and the river path; few hotels, so most beds are elsewhere.

Winter Street and Totten Pond Road (Route 128 corridor)

The hotel cluster: Embassy Suites, Holiday Inn Express, Hilton Garden Inn, Westin, Hyatt House. Free-ish parking, 10-min drive to downtown.

Near Brandeis (South Street)

Quiet, campus-oriented; Brandeis/Roberts commuter rail stop.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
$70–120 excl. bed
Mid
$120–200 excl. bed
High
$200+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Chain-hotel double room1 × 1 night × US$200US$200
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × US$160US$320
Commuter rail, Waltham to Boston, both ways2 × US$15US$30
MBTA bus ride2 × US$2US$4
eSIM, about a week of data2 × US$20US$40
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeUS$59
Trip total≈ US$327 per person per day, bed includedUS$653

2026 estimate in US dollars; sales tax added at checkout. Flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee$3–6
Deli sandwich$10–16
Indian curry on Moody Street$15–25
Dinner, mid-range, per person$25–45
Draught beer$7–10
Taxi, Riverside to Waltham (5 km)$15–22
Museum entry (Gore Place)check current hours and price$16

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Waltham is a normal, low-risk American city; the practical issues are traffic, winter ice and unlit stretches of the river path after dark. Use 911 for anything urgent.
  • Rush hour 16:30–18:30 on Main Street and I-90: allow 25–30 min extra to or from Boston.
  • I-90 (Mass Pike) has toll plazas; a car without a transponder pays more — check current rates.
  • Moody Street is busy and parking is tight on Friday and Saturday nights.
  • Winter ice on pavements and the river path; summer humidity in Jul–Aug.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
911

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

WalthamWatch City

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

To this address, pleaseTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance911

Embassy

No embassies in Waltham; consulates-general are in Boston and embassies in Washington, DC.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Commuter rail, Waltham → North Station: about $7–9 one way, 25–35 min
  • MBTA bus, single ride: about $2
  • Taxi, Logan Airport → Waltham: about $60–90, 20–30 min off-peak

Say or show

  • Where is the commuter rail station? — Where is the commuter rail station?
  • One ticket to Boston, please — One ticket to Boston, please
  • Can I pay by card? — Can I pay by card?
  • Is this seat taken? — Is this seat taken?

Tipping is expected: 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, $1–2 a drink, 15–20% taxis.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Waltham. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jan–Feb (cold, snow), late Jun–Aug (humid) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to United States

Sources