Drive or Fly: Plympton, MA to City of Lowell, MA?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for EWB–BED. At 72 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

1h 36m

Distance

72.5 mi

Total Cost

$51

CO2

29 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$16

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 55m

6m in the air

Air Distance

54 mi

Total Cost

$122

CO2

14 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Plympton, MA → EWB 31m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 6m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

BED → City of Lowell, MA 18m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $122) $122

Airports

Plympton, MA EWB — New Bedford Regional Airport 21 mi, ~31m drive

City of Lowell, MA BED — Laurence G Hanscom Field 12 mi, ~18m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between EWB and BED. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

2h 5m

45m on road

Total Cost

CO2

1 kg

Route

Greyhound US0256S

Door-to-Door Timeline

Plympton, MA → Boston (South Station) (BOS6) 45m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 45m

Arrival 10m

Robert B Kennedy Bus Transfer Center (Lowell, MA) (6LW) → City of Lowell, MA 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $3) $3

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From BOS6 — Boston (South Station) 30 mi, ~45m drive

To 6LW — Robert B Kennedy Bus Transfer Center (Lowell, MA) 0 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	1h 36m	2h 55m	2h 5m
Total cost (1 person)	$51	$122	$3
Carbon footprint	29 kg CO₂	14 kg CO₂	1 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

72.5 mi 1h 35m

via I 95, MA 24, US 3

Shortest (+2 min)

68.8 mi 1h 37m

via MA 3, US 3, I 93; US 1; MA 3

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Plympton, MA to City of Lowell, MA with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.