Radius Map of Boston

The map above is centered on Boston, United States, near Boston Common, with a default 10 mi radius. Drag to move it, search for a different address, or change the radius and unit using the controls.

Boston is a small, dense city that punches well above its weight regionally. A radius drawn from Boston Common reaches the inner harbor and the Charles River fast, then crosses into the dense ring of Cambridge, Brookline, Somerville, and Chelsea — towns that look continuous with Boston but are politically separate. Distances here are measured from Boston Common (42.355° N, 71.066° W).

Population: Boston city proper
Country: United States
Coordinates: 42.3554, -71.0656
Time zone: America/New_York

Boston proper is the third-densest US big city by area but one of the smallest by city limits — a 5-mile radius from Boston Common covers the whole city plus inner Cambridge, Brookline, and Somerville.

Also known as: Beantown, The Hub, Hub of the Universe, Bean Town, The Cradle of Liberty.

What's within each radius from Boston Common

Real coverage at the most-searched radii, including notable places that fall just outside the circle. Use these as ground truth before relying on a circle for real-estate, retail, or service-area decisions.

3 miles from Boston Common

A 3-mile radius from Boston Common covers downtown, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the South End, the North End, Charlestown, East Boston, and most of Cambridge and Somerville inside Route 28.

Inside the circle

✓Downtown, Beacon Hill, Back Bay
✓North End, South End, Chinatown
✓Charlestown and East Boston
✓Most of Cambridge (MIT, Harvard's southern edge)
✓Inner Somerville, Brookline, Chelsea

Just outside

✗Logan Airport tarmac (~4 mi)
✗Newton (~7 mi west)
✗Quincy (~7 mi south)
✗Outer Cambridge / Arlington (~5+ mi)
✗Most of Brookline beyond Coolidge Corner

5 miles from Boston Common

A 5-mile radius from Boston Common covers the city of Boston in full, all of Cambridge and Somerville, all of Brookline, Chelsea, Everett, and Logan Airport, and reaches into Watertown and Quincy.

Inside the circle

✓All of Boston city proper
✓Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline (in full)
✓Chelsea, Everett, Revere
✓Logan International Airport (BOS)
✓Watertown, Newton's eastern edge
✓Quincy's northern edge

Just outside

✗Newton city centre (~7 mi)
✗Quincy city centre (~7 mi)
✗Lexington (~10 mi)
✗Waltham (~10 mi)
✗Most of Quincy and Milton

10 miles from Boston Common

A 10-mile radius reaches Newton, Waltham, Lexington, Arlington, Belmont, Quincy, Milton, Lynn, and most of the Route 128 inner-suburban ring.

Inside the circle

✓Newton, Waltham, Watertown
✓Lexington, Arlington, Belmont
✓Quincy, Milton, Dedham
✓Lynn, Saugus, Malden, Medford
✓Most cities inside Route 128

Just outside

✗Framingham (~20 mi west)
✗Worcester (~45 mi)
✗Providence, RI (~50 mi)
✗Lowell (~25 mi north)
✗Plymouth (~40 mi south)

25 miles from Boston Common

A 25-mile radius from Boston Common captures most of the inner I-495 ring — Framingham, Concord, Andover, Lawrence, Brockton, Plymouth's northern edge, and most of the inner MetroWest.

Inside the circle

✓Framingham, Natick, Wellesley
✓Concord, Lexington, Bedford
✓Andover, Lawrence, Lowell's southern edge
✓Brockton, Stoughton
✓Most of MetroWest and the North Shore

Just outside

✗Worcester (~45 mi)
✗Providence, RI (~50 mi)
✗Lowell's northern edge (~28 mi)
✗Cape Cod (~70 mi)
✗Plymouth city centre (~40 mi)

50 miles from Boston Common

A 50-mile radius reaches Worcester, Providence (RI), Manchester (NH), Plymouth, and the start of Cape Cod near Sagamore Bridge — covering most of eastern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.

Inside the circle

✓Worcester (just inside)
✓Providence, Rhode Island
✓Manchester, New Hampshire
✓Plymouth and the gateway to Cape Cod
✓Most of eastern MA and southern NH

Just outside

✗Hyannis on Cape Cod (~70 mi)
✗Hartford, CT (~95 mi)
✗Portland, ME (~95 mi)
✗Springfield, MA (~85 mi)
✗Provincetown (~110 mi by road)

How Boston radius maps get used

City-specific scenarios where a radius is the right tool — and the typical radius sizes professionals use.

Inner-Boston rental search

Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Brookline form a continuous urban core, but they're politically separate. A 3-mile radius from downtown Boston covers all four — the practical "inner Boston" rental market.

Typical radius: 3 miles for inner urban Boston

Route 128 inner-ring catchment

Massachusetts Route 128 (the original inner beltway, now I-95) runs roughly 10 miles out from Boston. A 10-mile radius approximates the "inside 128" catchment — Newton, Lexington, Waltham, Quincy — historically the inner suburban ring.

Typical radius: 10 miles for inside Route 128

Greater Boston employer service area

Greater Boston firms commonly define a 25-mile catchment for hiring and service delivery, which captures the inner I-495 ring plus the North and South Shore inner edges. This is the practical "Greater Boston" labour market.

Typical radius: 25 miles for Greater Boston

New England regional trade area

A 50-mile radius reaches into Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire, and Worcester — useful for regional retail and distribution catchments. Note that I-93, I-95, and I-90 traffic significantly distort drive time vs distance.

Typical radius: 50 miles for regional New England

Geographic quirks of Boston radius mapping

Local geography and infrastructure that change how a radius behaves here. Skipping these is the most common reason a radius decision goes sideways.

Boston city limits are unusually small

Boston is only 48 square miles — smaller than San Francisco. The metropolitan area, by contrast, holds about 4.9 million people. A 5-mile radius from downtown covers more of "metro Boston" than the city itself.

The harbor eats the eastern arc

Boston Harbor sits directly east, with East Boston and Logan Airport the only land mass before the open Atlantic. A radius drawn from the Common loses 20–30% of its area to harbor on the eastern side.

I-495 vs I-95 (Route 128) — two rings

Boston has two ring highways: I-95/Route 128 at roughly 10 miles, and I-495 at roughly 25 miles. Real-estate listings often distinguish "inside 128" from "between 128 and 495" — a 10-mile radius approximates the first; a 25-mile radius approximates the second.

FAQ — Radius mapping in Boston

How big is a 5-mile radius in Boston?

A 5-mile radius from Boston Common covers all of Boston proper plus all of Cambridge, Somerville, Brookline, Chelsea, Everett, and Logan Airport, with the edges of Watertown, Newton, and Quincy.

What's within 10 miles of Boston?

A 10-mile radius reaches Newton, Waltham, Lexington, Arlington, Quincy, Milton, Lynn, and most of the inner Route 128 (I-95) ring of suburbs.

Does a 5-mile radius cover Boston Logan International Airport?

Yes. Logan sits about 4 miles northeast of Boston Common, comfortably inside a 5-mile radius. Most of East Boston and Logan are covered by a 4-mile radius from downtown.

What does "inside 128" mean and how does it relate to a radius?

"Inside 128" refers to the inner suburban ring of Greater Boston, bounded by Route 128 (I-95). A 10-mile radius from downtown Boston roughly approximates this zone — it's the standard Boston-area shorthand for inner suburbs.

How far is Providence from Boston?

Providence, Rhode Island sits about 50 miles southwest of Boston Common — at the edge of a 50-mile radius. Drive time on I-93 / I-95 is about 60–75 minutes outside rush hour.

Why do Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville feel like one city?

Because they functionally are: a continuous urban fabric runs across all three, separated only by the Charles River and political boundaries. A 3-mile radius from downtown Boston covers all of inner Cambridge and Somerville — what most visitors think of as "Boston" is actually three cities.