Origin
City of Lowell, MA
Morning in City of Lowell on Sunday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from City of Lowell, MA to Abington, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 11m
Distance
48.5 mi
78 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 6m
★
6 AM
1h 11m
8 AM
1h 23m
10 AM
1h 15m
12 PM
1h 14m
3 PM
1h 16m
5 PM
1h 22m
8 PM
1h 8m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
City of Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Abington, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
Lowell to Abington is 48.5 miles and takes about 1 hour 11 minutes via US 3 and MA 3, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. You'll spend most of your time on major highways, making for a relatively straightforward drive. Plan for a quick transit between these two cities, ideal for a single-day excursion. The route is largely efficient for getting from point A to point B.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 10.7 mi | 13m |
| Southeast Expressway | 8 mi | 10m |
| MA 3 | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Main Street | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| John F. Fitzgerald Expressway | 3 mi | 4m |
| Bedford Street | 2.8 mi | 4m |
| Interstate 93 HOV lane | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Lowell Connector | 2.1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 10.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between City of Lowell, MA and Abington, MA.
1
Start on this road
0.1 mi
·
40 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Arch Street
15 ft
·
8 sec
·
Arch Street
3
Turn sharp left onto Middlesex Street
383 ft
·
12 sec
·
Middlesex Street
4
Turn right onto Grand Street
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
·
Grand Street
5
Turn right onto MA 110
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Chelmsford Street
6
Turn left onto Plain Street
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Plain Street
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
8
Merge onto Lowell Connector
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
9
Continue on Lowell Connector
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 1A
Toward US 3 South: Boston
10
Merge onto US 3
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
US 3
11
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
US 3
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
US 3
13
Merge onto I 95; US 3; MA 128
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
14
Take the exit onto US 3
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
US 3
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Merge onto US 3
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Cambridge Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
16
Continue on US 3
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Road
17
Continue on US 3
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Cambridge Street
18
Turn left onto Church Street
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
Church Street
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto Bacon Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Bacon Street
20
Enter roundabout onto MA 38
37 ft
·
0 sec
·
Main Street
21
Continue on MA 38
0.5 mi
·
45 sec
·
Main Street
22
Continue on MA 38
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Winthrop Street
23
Enter roundabout onto MA 38
100 ft
·
4 sec
·
Winthrop Street
24
Continue on MA 38
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Winthrop Street
25
Turn left onto MA 16; MA 38
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Mystic Valley Parkway
26
Continue on MA 16
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Mystic Valley Parkway
Toward MA 16 East: Everett, Revere
27
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
Toward I 93: Boston, Concord New Hampshire
28
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 93 South: Boston
Use the slight right lane.
29
Merge onto I 93
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 93
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
1.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate 93 HOV lane
Use the slight left lane.
31
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Interstate 93 HOV lane
32
Merge onto I 93; US 1
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
John F. Fitzgerald Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
33
Continue on I 93; US 1; MA 3
8.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Southeast Expressway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
34
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 3
4.6 mi
·
6 min
·
MA 3
Exit 7
Toward MA 3 South: Cape Cod
Use the slight left lane.
35
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 38B
Toward MA 18 South: Abington
Use the slight right lane.
36
Turn straight onto MA 18
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
Use the left lane.
37
Continue on MA 18
2.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Bedford Street
38
Turn left onto MA 123
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Brockton Avenue
39
At end of road, turn right onto Washington Street
70 ft
·
9 sec
·
Washington Street
40
Turn left onto Thaxter Avenue
211 ft
·
11 sec
·
Thaxter Avenue
41
Turn right
192 ft
·
14 sec
42
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from City of Lowell, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 325 decision points cluster between mile 12.7 and 41.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
12.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 3
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3 toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
7
15 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
US 3
Take the exit onto US 3 toward US 3 South: Winchester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
8
22.5 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 93 South: Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 93 South: Boston
8
37.3 mi into trip
|
~54m in
|
MA 3
Keep slight left at fork onto MA 3 toward MA 3 South: Cape Cod
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 7
Toward MA 3 South: Cape Cod
7
41.9 mi into trip
|
~1h in
Take the exit toward MA 18 South: Abington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 38B
Toward MA 18 South: Abington
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.76 one way
$15.52 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $8.46 | $16.93 |
| premium | $4.82 | $9.21 | $18.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.71 | $21.42 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.5 | 0 | $5.09 | $2.33 |
| Efficient EV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.24 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.79 | $3.10 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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
Abington, MA
Morning in Abington on Sunday
Local time
6:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
12 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
1h 11m 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 drive is mostly highway, with 63% of the route on major roads. You'll encounter the longest uninterrupted stretch of 10.7 miles on US 3. Expect frequent exits as you transition between US 3 and the Southeast Expressway, indicating an urban or suburban environment. The latter part of the drive will shift from highway to surface streets as you approach Abington.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
42 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on US 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on US 3 and Southeast Expressway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 12.7 miles in near US 3.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.5 miles you will encounter 32 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.7 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 City of Lowell, MA and Abington, MA, road signs point toward Peabody, Revere and Concord New Hampshire.
Peabody
12.7 mi in
|
~17m
|
via US 3
Revere
22.2 mi in
|
~32m
|
via MA 16
Concord New Hampshire
22.3 mi in
|
~33m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 11m. Total distance: 48.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 11m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on US 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Abington, 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 12.7 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Boston National Historical Park, Adams National Historical Park and Lowell 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 Abington, 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.
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