Morning rush
11 min 1,315 trips · 98% on paceOBSERVED MBTA TRAVEL TIME · 30 SERVICE DAYS
HarvardtoDowntown Crossing
Red Line
A direct MBTA train from Harvard to Downtown Crossing took a median 11 minutes across 6,253 observed trips; 90% of measured rides finished within approximately 13 minutes.
Source: MBTA Performance Data · 2026-08-20 to 2026-09-18 · Completed direct trips only
Typical11 min50th percentile
Slower trip13 min90th percentile
Scheduled12 minmedian timetable
On pace94%within 2 min of schedule
THE SHORT ANSWER
How long does Harvard to Downtown Crossing take?
The median completed ride from Harvard to Downtown Crossing was 11 minutes; the published schedule’s median was 12 minutes.
Based on 6,253 direct trips between 2026-08-20 and 2026-09-18, the median observed ride was 11 minutes. That was within 1.5 minutes of the published schedule.
Nine out of ten measured trips finished within approximately 13 minutes. These figures describe completed direct trips; they do not include the time spent waiting for the train.
WHEN YOU TRAVEL
Harvard to Downtown Crossing times by daypart
Midday produced the fastest median for Harvard to Downtown Crossing; Evening rush produced the slowest.
Differences can change as the rolling dataset updates.
Midday
11 min 1,635 trips · 95% on paceEvening rush
11 min 1,336 trips · 90% on paceOff-peak
11 min 1,967 trips · 95% on paceMEASUREMENT SAMPLE
How Harvard to Downtown Crossing was measured
The Harvard to Downtown Crossing estimate uses 6,253 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 Harvard
Trips related to Harvard to Downtown Crossing
The Harvard to Downtown Crossing record is accompanied by 6 other measured direct rides beginning at Harvard, each with a published median duration.