Kendall Square to South End

How to get from Kendall Square to South End on public transit, with the stops, times and the last trip of the night.

By Ahmad Haji, founder of Cobblehop · October 30, 2026

Get the live route from Kendall to South End

Step by step

1. At Kendall/MIT, take the Red Line toward Braintree.
2. Ride 2 stops, about 4 min, through Charles/MGH, and get off at Park Street.
3. Walk about 3 min from Park Street to Temple Pl @ Washington St.
4. At Temple Pl @ Washington St, change to the Silver Line SL5 toward Nubian.
5. Ride 5 stops, about 11 min. Get off at Washington St @ W Dedham St, the stop after Washington St @ E Berkeley St.
6. Walk about 3 min to South End.

Other ways to go

• Take the Red Line toward Ashmont to Downtown Crossing, then the Orange Line toward Forest Hills to Back Bay, and walk about 12 min: about 28 min.
• Take the Red Line toward Braintree to Park Street, then bus 43 to Tremont St @ Union Pk, and walk about 4 min: about 22 min.

Which one is faster depends on when you leave. Cobblehop compares them with live times and gives you the one that gets you there first.

Times and frequency

First and last trip are when the first train of the trip leaves Kendall/MIT, on the fall 2026 schedule. "How often" is for the Silver Line SL5 (the least frequent part of the trip).

Late at night

On weekdays, the last trip that works leaves Kendall/MIT at 12:42 am and gets to South End around 1:11 am, using Red Line and bus 11. On Friday nights it runs later: the last trip leaves at 1:41 am. On Saturday nights the last trip leaves at 1:42 am, and on Sunday nights at 12:51 am. Late at night, ask Cobblehop for the last trip. It checks live times and tells you when to leave.

Tips for this trip

• Know your stop. Get to the door after Washington St @ E Berkeley St. The next stop is Washington St @ W Dedham St. Start a live trip in Cobblehop and it alerts you before your stop.
• The South End's main streets are Tremont Street and Washington Street, with brick row houses and restaurants in between.
• Kendall/MIT station is on Main Street in Kendall Square, at the east end of MIT.

Step-free access

MBTA data lists every station on this route (Kendall/MIT and Park Street) as accessible. Park Street has 6 elevators in MBTA data. Elevators do break, so check the MBTA's elevator alerts before you go.

What it costs

• Subway and bus. The subway is $2.40 one way, and a local bus is $1.70. Under an MBTA pilot that started September 1, 2026, you can change between bus and subway within 2 hours of your first tap and pay only the highest fare, if you use the same card or phone each time.
• How to pay. Tap a contactless credit or debit card, phone or watch at the fare gate or bus door, or use a CharlieCard or CharlieTicket.
• Kids. Children 11 and under ride the MBTA free.

Fares as of October 2026. Check the MBTA's fares page before you ride.

Kendall Square to South End: common questions

Related routes

• Kendall Square to Boston Medical Center
• Kendall Square to Copley Square
• Boston Common to South End
• North Station to South End
• Never miss your stop (guide)

More routes from Kendall Square

• Kendall Square to Wang Theatre
• Kendall Square to Tufts Medical Center
• Kendall Square to Boston Public Garden
• Kendall Square to Prudential Center
• Kendall Square to Chinatown
• All routes from Kendall Square

Official sources

Cobblehop is independent and isn't affiliated with these agencies or operators. Schedules on this page come from MBTA/MassDOT public data. Check their pages for the latest schedules and service changes:

• MBTA: Red Line
• MBTA: Silver Line SL5
• MBTA: Kendall/MIT station
• MBTA: Park Street station
• MBTA: fares
• MBTA: elevator and accessibility alerts

Published October 30, 2026. Times were computed from the fall 2026 MBTA schedule (2026-11-04 for weekdays). Service changes, so check Cobblehop for live times before you go.