Origin
City of Lowell, MA
Morning in City of Lowell on Sunday
Local time
6:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from City of Lowell, MA to Framingham Center, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
34 mi
55 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 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
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
Framingham Center, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 34-mile drive from the City of Lowell, MA, to Framingham Center, MA, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in under an hour, with an estimated duration of 49 minutes. Given its short length and manageable travel time, it's perfectly suited as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. The route utilizes a mix of major roadways, including the Yankee Division Highway, US 3, and the Massachusetts Turnpike, with 44% of the journey on highways. Budget around $5 for fuel for this trip, which traverses through the Northeast region of Massachusetts. This drive offers a practical way to connect two points within the state without extensive travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Yankee Division Highway | 9.9 mi | 13m |
| US 3 | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Massachusetts Turnpike | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Lowell Connector | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Worcester Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Cochituate Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Chelmsford Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Grand Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Yankee Division Highway
— 9.9 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between City of Lowell, MA and Framingham Center, 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 right at fork
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 72B
Toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
9.9 mi
·
13 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 39B
Toward I 90, Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
240 ft
·
5 sec
Toward I 90 West, Mass Pike West: Warcester, Albany New York
15
Continue on this road
393 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
Toward I 90 West, Mass Pike West: Warcester, Albany New York
16
Continue on this road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
17
Merge onto I 90
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Massachusetts Turnpike
18
Take the exit
285 ft
·
9 sec
Exit 117
Toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
Use the slight right lane.
19
Continue on this road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
Exit 117
Toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
20
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward MA 30 West: Framingham
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
21
Turn straight onto MA 30
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Cochituate Road
22
Turn slight left onto MA 30; MA 126
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Concord Street
23
Continue on Concord Street
0.1 mi
·
10 sec
·
Concord Street
24
Take the ramp
104 ft
·
3 sec
25
Turn right onto MA 9
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Worcester Road
26
Continue on MA 30
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
·
Worcester Road
27
Turn left onto MA 30
235 ft
·
12 sec
·
Edgell Road
28
Turn sharp right onto High Street
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
High Street
29
Turn left onto State Street
0.2 mi
·
49 sec
·
State Street
30
Turn left
55 ft
·
4 sec
31
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 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 235 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 30.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Middlesex Street
Turn sharp left onto Middlesex Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
8
12.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 72B
Toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
8
23.3 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward I 90, Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 39B
Toward I 90, Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York
8
30.2 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Take the exit toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 117
Toward MA 30: Natick, Framingham
7
30.9 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MA 30 West: Framingham
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward MA 30 West: Framingham
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.44 one way
$10.88 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $5.93 | $11.87 |
| premium | $4.82 | $6.46 | $12.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.34
Massachusetts Turnpike
(5.7 mi)
$0.34
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Framingham Center, MA
Morning in Framingham Center on Sunday
Local time
6:37 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
49m 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?
Expect a mixed driving experience on this route, blending efficient highway travel with other road types. Approximately 44% of the drive is on highways, contributing to its overall efficiency. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter without a significant change in road type is 9.9 miles on the Yankee Division Highway. As you progress, you'll notice a transition from more direct highway segments to potentially more varied road conditions as you approach your destination. This blend means you won't be solely on a monotonous interstate, but rather navigating a combination of faster-paced roads and potentially some local thoroughfares.
44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
31 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on Yankee Division Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 0.1 miles in near Middlesex Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 23 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Middlesex Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Framingham Center, MA, road signs point toward Mass Pike: Boston, Albany New York, Mass Pike West: Warcester and Framingham.
Mass Pike: Boston
23.3 mi in
|
~31m
Albany New York
23.3 mi in
|
~31m
Mass Pike West: Warcester
23.7 mi in
|
~32m
Framingham
30.2 mi in
|
~40m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). 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 9.9 miles on Yankee Division Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.34 in tolls one way, starting with Massachusetts Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Framingham Center, 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 0.1 miles (Middlesex Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 12.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Framingham Center, 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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