Route 126 is a north–south state highway in

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...

. Its southern terminus is a continuation of Rhode Island Route 126 by

Woonsocket, Rhode Island Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsocket lies directly south of ...

and its northern terminus is at Route 2 and Route 2A in

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

. Along the way it intersects several major routes including Interstate 495 (I-495) in Bellingham, Route 9 in

Framingham Framingham () is a city in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. Incorporated in 1700, it is located in Middlesex County and the MetroWest subregion of the Greater Boston metropolitan area. The city proper covers with a popul ...

, and

U.S. Route 20 U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major coast-to-coast route. S ...

(US 20) in Wayland.

Route description

Route 126 begins at the Rhode Island state line, continuing into

Woonsocket Woonsocket ( ), is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 43,240 at the 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsocket lies directly south of ...

as Rhode Island Route 126. After a short stretch in the town of Blackstone and Worcester County, Route 126 enters the town of Bellingham and Norfolk County, heading north. In Bellingham, Route 126 has a short concurrency with Route 140 at the center of town. In the north of the town, the route turns east on Hartford Avenue, crossing

I-495 Interstate 495 (I-495) is the designation for several Interstate Highways in the United States, all of which are related to Interstate 95, listed from south to north: * The Capital Beltway, a beltway around Washington, D.C., running through Virgin ...

at Exit 18. Shortly after entering the town of Medway, the route turns north again, crossing Route 109 shortly after that. Route 126 then enters

Holliston Holliston may refer to: * Holliston, Saskatoon, Canada *Holliston, Massachusetts, USA **Holliston High School, a secondary school in Holliston, Massachusetts * ''Holliston'' (TV series), a television show on Fearnet, set in Holliston, Massachusetts ...

, in Middlesex County. In Holliston, Route 126 shares a long concurrency with Route 16 through the center of town. After splitting from Route 16, Route 126 heads north into Ashland, passing through the eastern side of town before entering

. The route passes Waushakam Pond before crossing Route 135 near the center of town, next to the Framingham MBTA station. The road bears to the right, passing Gleason Pond before crossing over Route 9 with exit ramps between the two. At this point, Route 30 eastbound joins Route 126 for a short stretch before meeting Route 30 westbound. Route 126 continues northward, crossing the

Massachusetts Turnpike The Massachusetts Turnpike (colloquially "Mass Pike" or "the Pike") is a toll highway in the US state of Massachusetts that is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). The turnpike begins at the New York state li ...

(I-90) without junction. (The nearest exit along the Pike is on Route 30 to the east.) As it passes

Lake Cochituate Lake Cochituate is a body of water in Natick, Wayland, and Framingham, Massachusetts, United States. Originally a reservoir serving Boston, it no longer serves that function, and is now a local recreational resource and home to Cochituate State P ...

, Route 126 enters the town of Wayland. The route then joins

Route 27 Route 27, or Highway 27, may refer to: Australia * Burke Developmental Road (Queensland) * Zeehan Highway (Tasmania) Canada * Alberta Highway 27 * British Columbia Highway 27 * Manitoba Highway 27 * Prince Edward Island Route 27 * Saskatchew ...

for a mile, crossing

together just before the two routes split. Route 126 then enters the town of

Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincol ...

. After crossing Route 117, the route continues north, crossing the Fitchburg Line before entering

. As the route rounds the banks of

Walden Pond Walden Pond is a pond in Concord, Massachusetts, in the United States. A famous example of a kettle hole, it was formed by retreating glaciers 10,000–12,000 years ago. The pond is protected as part of Walden Pond State Reservation, a state pa ...

through the State Reservation, it finally ends at Routes 2 and 2A next to Concord-Carlisle Regional High School.

Major intersections

References

External links

{{Attached KML 126 Transportation in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Transportation in Norfolk County, Massachusetts Transportation in Worcester County, Massachusetts Holliston, Massachusetts Ashland, Massachusetts Framingham, Massachusetts Wayland, Massachusetts Lincoln, Massachusetts Concord, Massachusetts