Route 126 is a north–south
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either ''numbered'' or ''maintained'' by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered by a ...
in
. 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 United States Census, 2020 census, making it the sixth largest city in the state. Being Rhode Island's northernmost city, Woonsock ...
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
Route 140 or Highway 140 may refer to:
Australia
* Hamilton Highway
Canada
* New Brunswick Route 140
* Ontario Highway 140
* Prince Edward Island Route 140
Costa Rica
* National Route 140 (Costa Rica), National Route 140
Germany
* Bundesautoba ...
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
Medway is a unitary authority district and conurbation in Kent, South East England. It had a population of 278,016 in 2019. The unitary authority was formed in 1998 when Rochester-upon-Medway amalgamated with the Borough of Gillingham to for ...
, 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
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 ...
. 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
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 ...
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
The Fitchburg Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system which runs from Boston's North Station to Wachusett station in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. The line is along the tracks of the former Fitchburg Railroad, which was built across norther ...
before entering
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 ...
. 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 par ...
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