Origin
Carlisle, MA
Morning in Carlisle on Sunday
Local time
8:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Carlisle, MA to City of Lowell, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
8.9 mi
14 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 20m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 21m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Carlisle, MA
Wikimedia Commons
City of Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
Carlisle, MA to the City of Lowell, MA is 8.9 miles and takes about 19 minutes via Chelmsford Street, Lowell Street, and Concord Road, with a fuel budget near $1 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and the state of Massachusetts. Expect a straightforward drive that's heavy on turns rather than high-speed highway cruising. It's a quick connection between two points, ideal for a brief journey where the focus is simply getting from point A to point B without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Chelmsford Street | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| Lowell Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Concord Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Boston Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Westford Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Grand Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Middlesex Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Westford Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Chelmsford Street
— 3.5 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Carlisle, MA and City of Lowell, MA.
1
Start on MA 225
82 ft
·
10 sec
·
Westford Road
2
Continue on MA 225
163 ft
·
5 sec
·
Westford Road
3
Enter roundabout onto Lowell Street
86 ft
·
1 sec
·
Lowell Street
4
Continue on Lowell Street
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Lowell Street
5
Continue on Concord Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Concord Road
6
At end of road, turn left onto MA 4
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Boston Road
7
Continue on MA 110
3.5 mi
·
6 min
·
Chelmsford Street
8
Turn sharp left onto MA 3A
458 ft
·
10 sec
·
Westford Street
9
Turn right onto Grand Street
448 ft
·
23 sec
·
Grand Street
10
At end of road, turn left onto Middlesex Street
383 ft
·
18 sec
·
Middlesex Street
11
Turn sharp right onto Arch Street
15 ft
·
5 sec
·
Arch Street
12
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
38 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 8.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Lowell Street
Enter roundabout onto Lowell Street
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
4 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
MA 4 / Boston Road
At end of road, turn left onto MA 4 / Boston Road
Navigation decision point
5
8.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
MA 3A / Westford Street
Turn sharp left onto MA 3A / Westford Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
5
8.8 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Middlesex Street
At end of road, turn left onto Middlesex Street
Navigation decision point
6
8.8 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
Arch Street
Turn sharp right onto Arch Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.42 one way
$2.85 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $1.55 | $3.11 |
| premium | $4.82 | $1.69 | $3.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.97 | $3.93 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.7 | 0 | $0.93 | $0.43 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.78 | $0.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (67% 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
City of Lowell, MA
Morning in City of Lowell on Sunday
Local time
8:09 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
23 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
19m 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?
This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' with zero highway share. You'll navigate through local streets and roads, so anticipate frequent changes in direction. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.5 miles along Chelmsford Street. This means you'll be actively engaged with steering and navigation for most of the journey, rather than settling into a steady highway pace.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.5 mi on Chelmsford Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Lowell Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 19m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Lowell Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 4 miles (MA 4 / Boston Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles (MA 3A / Westford Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 19m. Total distance: 8.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
19m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.5 miles on Chelmsford Street. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (Lowell Street): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 4 miles (MA 4 / Boston Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles (MA 3A / Westford Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach.
Yes — Lowell National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Boston 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 City of Lowell, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From City of Lowell, MA
More trips to City of Lowell, MA
Explore more options from Carlisle, MA or browse trips ending in City of Lowell, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.