The highway heads north as two-lane Stafford Road and immediately has an oblique grade crossing of the New England Central Railroad.

Route 32 becomes Palmer Lower Road between the latter village and North Monson, where the highway crosses over the rail line and Chicopee Brook.

Shortly after entering the town, Route 32 passes under the Massachusetts Central Railroad and crosses the Ware River.

The highway crosses back and forth between Ware and the Worcester County towns of West Brookfield and New Braintree as it parallels the river and rail line north.

Route 32 enters Worcester County for good and enters the town of Hardwick just south of Gilbertville, where the highway intersects the Massachusetts Central Railroad, crosses the Ware River, and meets the southern end of Route 32A (Hardwick Road).

Route 32 exits the village on Church Street and continues northeast parallel to the rail line and river on Lower Road.

Once there, Route 32 turns onto Chestnut Hill Avenue, crosses over the Pan Am Southern rail line and the Millers River, then veers onto Silver Lake Street.

The highway follows the East Branch of the Tully River into the town of Royalston as Athol-Richmond Road.