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Lowell, MA Road Trips

Plan drives from Lowell, MA with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

Downtown Lowell, MA, MA

Photo: Phil Evenden

Trip Routes

4

Longest Drive

120.5 mi

West Tisbury, MA

Quickest Drive

34m

Edgeworth, MA

Plan Around Lowell, MA

Trips from Lowell, MA

Lowell, MA by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

114,799

Median Income

$76,205

Median Home Value

$395,100

Median Age

35.5

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

Lowell, MA at a Glance

Founded

1653

Elevation

102 ft

Area

15 mi²

Sister Cities

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges

Notable People from Lowell, MA

A sampling of people born in Lowell, MA.

Bette Davis

Bette Davis

1908–1989

American actress (1908–1989)

Jack Kerouac

Jack Kerouac

1922–1969

American writer (1922–1969)

James McNeill Whistler

James McNeill Whistler

1834–1903

American painter (1834-1903)

Olympia Dukakis

Olympia Dukakis

1931–2021

American actress (1931-2021)

Michael Chiklis

Michael Chiklis

1963

American actor

Nancy Kelly

Nancy Kelly

1921–1995

American actress (1921–1995)

Helen Sawyer Hogg

Helen Sawyer Hogg

1905–1993

astronomer (1905-1993)

Scott Grimes

Scott Grimes

1971

actor, voice actor, singer-songwriter

Charles Sweeney

Charles Sweeney

1919–2004

United States general

Landmarks & Historic Sites

Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Lowell, MA.

Middlesex Canal

Middlesex Canal

canal in Massachusetts, United States of America

National Register of Historic Places listed place Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
Lowell National Historical Park

Lowell National Historical Park

U.S. national park located in Massachusetts

National Register of Historic Places listed place
St. Patrick's Church

St. Patrick's Church

church building in Massachusetts, United States of America

National Register of Historic Places listed place
Lowell Memorial Auditorium

Lowell Memorial Auditorium

multi-use auditorium located in downtown Lowell, Massachusetts

Lowell Cemetery

Lowell Cemetery

cemetery in Lowell, Massachusetts

National Register of Historic Places listed place
Butler School

Butler School

school building in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

National Register of Historic Places listed place
F. Bradford Morse Federal Building

F. Bradford Morse Federal Building

building in Massachusetts, United States

National Register of Historic Places listed place
Owl Diner

Owl Diner

historic diner in Lowell, Massachusetts, United States

National Register of Historic Places listed place

City data from Wikidata (Q49162), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Lowell, MA

Lowell is a city in Massachusetts about 40 minutes northwest of Boston. With over 115,000 residents (2020), it's the fifth largest city in Massachusetts, and has an important historical background. It was the first planned industrial city in the United States.

1 National Trolley Museum, 25 Shattuck St, ☏ +1 978-458-5835. This is a satellite of the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine and shows the history of transit in Lowell in the context of American transit history. (updated Oct 2016) 2 New England Quilt Museum, 18 Shattuck St, ☏ +1 978 452-4207. (updated Mar 2022) 3 Whistler House Museum of Art, 243 Worthen St, ☏ +1 978 452-7641. $15 for tour, $12 for self-tour. (updated Mar 2022) Merrimack River Bridges. Lowell is home to several impressive bridges, two of which cross the Merrimack River. The Aiken Street Bridge is a lenticular through truss bridge, one of the rarest bridge types and the longest of its kind. The Central Bridge is a cantilevered through truss bridge. Both spans offer pedestrian access and are highly impressive. Lowell Industrial Canals. There are four narrow canals running through downtown Lowell, which are still navigable in some sections. These canals were used as a hydropower source when the mills and factories were still in use. Despite their size, the canals are home to some beautiful restored historic footbridges. Also, several sets of locks along the canals are still in use for flood control. The four canals, together with the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, turn part of downtown Lowell into an island. 4 Pawtucket Falls and Dam. Pawtucket Falls and Dam is a large man-made waterfall and hydroelectric dam located directly underneath the University Avenue Bridge. It is one of three large hydroelectric dams along the Merrimack.

1 Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell, 300 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, ☏ +1 978-934-5760. Hosts concerts and home games of the UMass-Lowell River Hawks (an NCAA Division I hockey team) and Boston Fleet (Professional Women's Hockey League). 2 Cawley Memorial Stadium. Off of Route 38 near Tewksbury. Hosts various sports events. (updated Mar 2022) 3 Lowell Memorial Auditorium, 50 East Merrimack Street. 4 UMass Lowell Bellgarde Boathouse, 500 Pawtucket BLVD. Home to UMass Lowell's rowing program. 5 Lowell National Historical Park, 67 Kirk Street, ☏ +1 978 970-5000. Open year round. 9AM-5PM (Summer to 5:30PM). Commemorates the history of the American Industrial Revolution in Lowell. Includes the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, textile mills, canals, worker houses, and 19th-century commercial buildings. 6 Edward A. LeLacheur Park, 450 Aiken St. 5000-person stadium that hosts home games of the River Hawks, a class A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and the UMass Lowell River Hawks. Lowell Folk Festival. One of the largest free folk festivals in the United States, end of July. Performers throughout city, international food court. Lowell Quilt Festival. Annual celebration of quilts throughout city, with quilting classes, exhibitions, and demonstrations. Lowell Winterfest. Annual family-friendly celebration of the wonders of winter, including the National Human Dogsled Championships. (updated Mar 2022)

Tremonte Pizza 44 Palmer St, +1 978-453-1110 Excellent brick oven pizza, cocktails, and appetizers 1 Athenian Corner, 207 Market Street, ☏ +1 978 458-7052. (updated Oct 2016) 2 Viet-Thai Restaurant, 368 Merrimack St, ☏ +1 978 446-0977. (updated Oct 2016) 3 Eggroll Cafe, 110 University Ave, ☏ +1 978 970-3411. M-Sa 9AM to 10PM, closed Sundays. Great bento boxes, delicious bubble teas, and a plethora of eggrolls. If you are look for some traditional treats, or perhaps something a new give them a try. The selection of egg rolls varies from the usual spring rolls to westernized rolls, like cheeseburger or buffalo chicken; there is a great variety to try here! (updated Oct 2016) Simply Khmer, 26 Lincoln Street, ☏ +1 (978) 454-6700. 11AM-8:30PM. Cambodian restaurant. (updated Oct 2025)

1 Blue Shamrock, 105 Market St, ☏ +1 978-458-1288. (updated Oct 2016) 2 The Old Court Irish Pub And Restaurant, 29-31 Central St, ☏ +1 978-452-0100. (updated Oct 2016) 3 Brew'd Awakening Coffeehaus, 61 Market St, ☏ +1 978-454-2739. (updated Feb 2017)

1 Sonesta Select Boston Lowell Chelmsford, 30 Industrial Avenue, ☏ +1 978 458-7575, fax: +1 978 458-1302. $109. 2 UMass Lowell Inn and Conference Center, 50 Warren Street, ☏ +1 978 934-6918. (updated Oct 2016)

The nearest airports are Boston's Logan Airport (BOS IATA) and Manchester Airport (MHT IATA) in New Hampshire, each about 40 minutes away. The Lowell line of the MBTA Commuter Rail has a terminus in Lowell. This train station is about a 15 minute walk from downtown, or there is a shuttle that runs between the train station and downtown. Take U.S. Route 3 or Interstate 495 to the Lowell Connector, a 2.5-mile highway that ends near downtown Lowell. Be careful: the Lowell Connector is one of the most dangerous highways in the state. Exit 31 on Route 3 and exits 37 and 38 on I-495 will also take you to Lowell.

The Lowell Regional Transit Authority has regular shuttles going around Lowell and several neighboring towns.

Travel tips adapted from Lowell (Massachusetts) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

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