Morning rush
2.2 min 761 trips · 99% on paceOBSERVED MBTA TRAVEL TIME · 30 SERVICE DAYS
ChinatowntoBack Bay
Orange Line
A direct MBTA train from Chinatown to Back Bay took a median 2.2 minutes across 3,484 observed trips; 90% of measured rides finished within approximately 2.8 minutes.
Source: MBTA Performance Data · 2026-08-20 to 2026-09-18 · Completed direct trips only
Typical2.2 min50th percentile
Slower trip2.8 min90th percentile
Scheduled3.2 minmedian timetable
On pace99%within 2 min of schedule
THE SHORT ANSWER
How long does Chinatown to Back Bay take?
The median completed ride from Chinatown to Back Bay was 2.2 minutes; the published schedule’s median was 3.2 minutes.
Based on 3,484 direct trips between 2026-08-20 and 2026-09-18, the median observed ride was 2.2 minutes. That was within 1 minutes of the published schedule.
Nine out of ten measured trips finished within approximately 2.8 minutes. These figures describe completed direct trips; they do not include the time spent waiting for the train.
WHEN YOU TRAVEL
Chinatown to Back Bay times by daypart
Evening rush produced the fastest median for Chinatown to Back Bay; Off-peak produced the slowest.
Differences can change as the rolling dataset updates.
Midday
2.2 min 644 trips · 99% on paceEvening rush
2.2 min 733 trips · 100% on paceOff-peak
2.2 min 1,346 trips · 99% on paceMEASUREMENT SAMPLE
How Chinatown to Back Bay was measured
The Chinatown to Back Bay estimate uses 3,484 completed direct-trip stop-timestamp pairs matched to the schedule active for each observed train.
We publish the median because one dramatic delay should not define an everyday journey, and the 90th percentile because riders still need to understand the bad end of normal.
We do not infer why a trip ran slowly. Construction, incidents, crowding and weather require separate evidence.
Read the complete method →MORE FROM Chinatown
Trips related to Chinatown to Back Bay
The Chinatown to Back Bay record is accompanied by 6 other measured direct rides beginning at Chinatown, each with a published median duration.