If your commute runs to Kendall, Harvard, downtown Boston or South Station, the Red Line is the line to map first. It runs from Alewife in North Cambridge through Somerville, Cambridge, downtown Boston and South Boston, then splits after JFK/UMass into two southern branches: one to Ashmont in Dorchester, one to Braintree by way of Quincy. At Ashmont, the separate Mattapan trolley picks up and follows the Neponset River through Milton to Mattapan.
The station lists and connections below come from the MBTA’s own route data (as of October 2026). The housing notes come from our area guides.
How the line is laid out
| Section | Stations | Communities |
|---|---|---|
| Northern trunk | Alewife, Davis, Porter, Harvard, Central, Kendall/MIT | Cambridge, Somerville |
| Downtown | Charles/MGH, Park Street, Downtown Crossing, South Station | Boston (Beacon Hill, West End, Downtown) |
| South Boston and Columbia Point | Broadway, Andrew, JFK/UMass | South Boston, Dorchester |
| Ashmont branch | Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Shawmut, Ashmont | Dorchester |
| Braintree branch | North Quincy, Wollaston, Quincy Center, Quincy Adams, Braintree | Quincy, Braintree |
| Mattapan trolley | Ashmont, Cedar Grove, Butler, Milton, Central Avenue, Valley Road, Capen Street, Mattapan | Dorchester, Milton, Mattapan |
- Alewife
- Davis
- Porter
- Harvard
- Central
- Kendall/MIT
- Charles/MGH
- Park Street
- Downtown Crossing
- South Station
- Broadway
- Andrew
- JFK/UMass
Alewife to Kendall: Cambridge and Somerville
Alewife is the northern end of the line, at the edge of North Cambridge. It is also the station many Arlington residents use: Arlington has no subway stop of its own, and our guide notes the Red Line at Alewife just over the Cambridge line, bus 350 to Alewife, and the Minuteman Bikeway. Buses 62 and 76 also run from Lexington Center to Alewife.
Davis is the line’s only Somerville station, under Davis Square. Housing around it is typical Somerville: triple-deckers, two-families and Victorian single-families, many split into condos. Somerville’s Green Line stations and Assembly on the Orange Line serve other parts of the city, so a Somerville address doesn’t by itself mean a Red Line walk.
Porter, Harvard, Central and Kendall/MIT are all in Cambridge, and the first three sit under Massachusetts Avenue. Porter is also a Fitchburg Line commuter rail stop. Near these squares you’ll find Victorian and Colonial Revival single-families, two-families, triple-deckers, and condos in both converted houses and newer buildings. Kendall’s blocks lean toward newer construction around the lab and office district.
Crossing into Boston
After Kendall the train crosses the Longfellow Bridge to Charles/MGH, at the foot of Beacon Hill and steps from the West End. Beacon Hill is Federal and Greek Revival brick rowhouses, many divided into condos; the West End is mostly mid-century high-rise condos and apartments with newer towers near North Station.
Park Street (Green Line transfer), Downtown Crossing (Orange Line transfer) and South Station (Silver Line, commuter rail and Amtrak) serve Downtown, where housing is high-rise condo towers and condos in converted commercial buildings. South Station is also the closest Red Line stop to the Seaport, across Fort Point Channel.
South Boston and Columbia Point
Broadway and Andrew sit on the west side of South Boston, near Andrew Square and the start of West Broadway. The housing here is wood triple-deckers, two-families and rowhouses, with new mid-rise condo buildings on the west side. City Point, at the far east end near Castle Island, is a longer trip to either station, and bus routes 7, 9, 10 and 11 serve Broadway, Summer Street and City Point.
JFK/UMass serves Columbia Point in Dorchester, with UMass Boston and the JFK Library nearby. It is also a stop on three Old Colony commuter rail lines (Kingston, Greenbush and Fall River/New Bedford), and it’s the last station both branches share.
The Ashmont branch through Dorchester
- JFK/UMass
- Savin Hill
- Fields Corner
- Shawmut
- Ashmont
The Ashmont branch runs roughly parallel to Dorchester Avenue on Dorchester’s eastern side: Savin Hill, Fields Corner, Shawmut and Ashmont. Each station anchors a village. Fields Corner has its own commercial strip, and Ashmont sits near Ashmont Hill, one of the hills our Dorchester guide notes for larger Queen Anne and Shingle Style houses. Savin Hill, the hill the first station is named for, is another.
Across the branch, the dominant building is the wood triple-decker, alongside two-families, Victorian and Colonial Revival single-families, and newer condo buildings close to the stations. Western Dorchester is farther from this branch; the Fairmount Line commuter rail (Uphams Corner, Four Corners/Geneva, Talbot Avenue) serves that side.
The Braintree branch through Quincy
- JFK/UMass
- North Quincy
- Wollaston
- Quincy Center
- Quincy Adams
- Braintree
Quincy has four stations on the Braintree branch: North Quincy, Wollaston, Quincy Center and Quincy Adams. Our Quincy guide puts it simply: the first question is which part of the city. Condos cluster near the Red Line and Marina Bay, while Colonial and Victorian single-families, two-families and waterfront cottages fill the shoreline sections and side streets. Wollaston and North Quincy run along the shore near Wollaston Beach; Squantum and Houghs Neck are farther from any station.
Quincy Center and Braintree, the branch’s southern terminal, both connect to Old Colony commuter rail as well.
The Mattapan trolley: Ashmont to Mattapan
- Ashmont
- Cedar Grove
- Butler
- Milton
- Central Avenue
- Valley Road
- Capen Street
- Mattapan
From Ashmont, the Mattapan Line runs restored PCC streetcars along the Neponset River. Its stops are Cedar Grove and Butler in Dorchester, then Milton, Central Avenue, Valley Road and Capen Street in Milton, ending at Mattapan station in Mattapan, by Mattapan Square.
In Milton, the trolley serves the river side of town near Milton Village, where lots are more compact and houses sit closer together than in the sections near the Blue Hills. Housing is mostly Colonial, Victorian and shingle-style single-families, mid-century capes and ranches, and a smaller number of condos and townhouses. In Mattapan, expect two-families, triple-deckers, and Colonial and Victorian single-families. Mattapan also has two Fairmount Line commuter rail stations (Blue Hill Avenue and Morton Street), so a home there may have a rail choice beyond the trolley.
What to check before you buy near a station
Before you buy near a station
- Walk the actual route. Measure door to platform, not as the crow flies. Hills, highway crossings and station entrances on one side of a square all change the walk.
- Confirm the branch. In Dorchester and Quincy, make sure the station near the listing is on the branch that suits your commute.
- Look at the transfer. If you work on the Green or Orange Line, note whether you’d change at Park Street or Downtown Crossing.
- Read current alerts. Service changes and planned diversions are posted at mbta.com/alerts; check them for any station you’re relying on.
- Price in the tradeoffs. A short walk to a station is one of the things buyers weigh, along with parking, condo fees and the age of the building.
If you’re comparing homes along the line, read the area guides above, then our moving to Boston guide for the bigger picture, or what to know about buying a condo since so much housing near the stations is condos. Our Orange Line guide covers the line the Red Line meets at Downtown Crossing.
The Pettengill Group can help you narrow a search by station and line and tour homes along the way. Start a home search or get in touch.