Origin
Cambridge, MA
Evening in Cambridge on Friday
Local time
6:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cambridge, MA to Dracut, MA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
27.5 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cambridge, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Dracut, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Cambridge, MA to Dracut, MA covers 27.5 miles and takes about 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 3, Cambridge Street, Lowell Connector for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.4 miles on US 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.59 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 10.4 mi | 13m |
| Cambridge Street | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Lowell Connector | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 2 mi | 5m |
| Cambridge Road | 2 mi | 2m |
| Bridge Street | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Mystic Street | 1.5 mi | 1m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 10.4 mi, about 13m
Traffic on I-95
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 111 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~6,131 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~235 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
26.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 100 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cambridge, MA and Dracut, MA.
1
Start on Leonard Avenue
267 ft
·
13 sec
·
Leonard Avenue
2
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
3
Turn straight
310 ft
·
12 sec
4
Turn straight onto MA 2A
2.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Use the straight lane.
5
Turn right onto MA 16
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alewife Brook Parkway
Use the right lane.
6
Turn left onto Broadway
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
·
Broadway
7
Turn straight onto Warren Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Warren Street
8
At end of road, turn left onto MA 60
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Chestnut Street
9
Turn right onto US 3; MA 2A
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Mystic Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Continue on US 3
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Street
11
Continue on US 3
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Road
12
Continue on US 3
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
·
Cambridge Street
13
Take the exit onto US 3
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
US 3
Toward I 95 South, US 3 North: Waltham, Lowell
14
Merge onto I 95; US 3; MA 128
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Take the exit onto US 3
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
US 3
Exit 50B-A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
·
US 3
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
17
Keep slight right at fork onto US 3
9.8 mi
·
11 min
·
US 3
Exit 50A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
18
Keep slight right at fork onto Lowell Connector
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 80-81A
Toward I 495 North: Lowell, Chelmsford, Lawrence
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Continue on Lowell Connector
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 80
Toward Lowell Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Keep slight left at fork onto Lowell Connector
511 ft
·
11 sec
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 5C
Toward Lowell Center, Gorham Street
Use the left / right lanes.
21
Turn left onto Gorham Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Gorham Street
22
Continue on Veterans Way
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Veterans Way
23
Continue on Central Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Central Street
24
Turn right onto Prescott Street
487 ft
·
11 sec
·
Prescott Street
25
Continue on Bridge Street
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Bridge Street
26
Turn right onto MA 113
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Arlington Street
27
Turn left
221 ft
·
16 sec
28
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 185 decision points cluster between mile 11.7 and 24.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
11.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
US 3
Take the exit onto US 3 toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50B-A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike,...
7
11.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
US 3
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3 toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
7
12.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
US 3
Keep slight right at fork onto US 3 toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 50A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
9
22 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
Lowell Connector
Keep slight right at fork onto Lowell Connector toward I 495 North: Lowell, Chelmsford, Lawrence
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 80-81A
Toward I 495 North: Lowell, Chelmsford, Lawrenc...
9
24.8 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
Lowell Connector
Keep slight left at fork onto Lowell Connector toward Lowell Center, Gorham Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left / right lanes.
Exit 5C
Toward Lowell Center, Gorham Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.59 one way
$9.17 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $5.05 | $10.10 |
| premium | $5.06 | $5.48 | $10.95 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.06 | $12.12 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.89 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Dracut, MA
Evening in Dracut on Friday
Local time
6:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
1 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
27.5 mi in 45m — 39% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: US 3.
39% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.4 mi on US 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 11.7 miles in near US 3.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 18 decision points packed into just 27.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 11.7 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.9 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.1 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
196 ft
19 ft
Total Climb
254 ft
Total Descent
116 ft
Highest Point
196 ft
~17.7 mi in
Elevation Range
177 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Cambridge, MA and Dracut, MA, road signs point toward Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Chelmsford and Lawrence - among others.
Lowell
10.4 mi in
|
~20m
|
via US 3
Middlesex Turnpike
11.7 mi in
|
~22m
|
via US 3
Burlington
11.7 mi in
|
~22m
|
via US 3
Nashua New Hampshire
11.7 mi in
|
~22m
|
via US 3
Chelmsford
22 mi in
|
~35m
|
via Lowell Connector
Lawrence
22 mi in
|
~35m
|
via Lowell Connector
Lowell Center
24.8 mi in
|
~38m
|
via Lowell Connector
About the Cities
Starting in Cambridge, MA
Full guide →Founded 1630
Cambridge is a city in Massachusetts, across the Charles River from Boston. It is renowned as the home of Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both widely considered to be among the best universities in the world. The city's population was 118,000 in 2020; the fourth largest in the state.
Top landmarks
- • Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology — museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- • Harvard Art Museums — art museums at Harvard University
- • Museum of Comparative Zoology — natural history museum at Harvard University
Arriving in Dracut, MA
Full guide →Founded 1653
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 27.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (39%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.4 miles on US 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Dracut, MA before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 11.7 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.9 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.1 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Lowell National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Minute Man National Historical Park (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Dracut, MA before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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