Origin
Dedham, MA
Morning in Dedham on Sunday
Local time
10:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dedham, 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
47m
Distance
33.7 mi
54 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dedham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
City of Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
This 33.7-mile drive from Dedham, MA to the City of Lowell, MA is an easy one-day trip, taking approximately 47 minutes. With a modest fuel cost of around $5, it's an economical option for a quick journey. The route primarily utilizes local roads, with a 29% share of highway driving, suggesting a more engaged driving experience. The Yankee Division Highway forms the longest stretch at 17 miles, offering a solid segment of uninterrupted travel. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, keeping the drive geographically contained and straightforward. This trip is ideal for a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Yankee Division Highway | 17 mi | 23m |
| US 3 | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| Chelmsford Street | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Common Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| High Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| East Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| West Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Westford Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Yankee Division Highway
— 17 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dedham, MA and City of Lowell, MA.
1
Start on East Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
East Street
2
Turn left onto High Street
269 ft
·
8 sec
·
High Street
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on High Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
High Street
4
Continue on Common Street
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Common Street
5
Continue on West Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
West Street
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
Toward I 95 North, MA 128 North: Peabody, Portsmouth New Hampshire
7
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
17 mi
·
23 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Exit 50A-B
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 50A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
this road
Exit 50A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
11
Continue on US 3
9.4 mi
·
10 min
·
US 3
12
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 81B-C
Toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
15
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 81C
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
16
Turn right onto MA 110
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Chelmsford Street
17
Turn sharp left onto MA 3A
458 ft
·
10 sec
·
Westford Street
18
Turn right onto Grand Street
448 ft
·
23 sec
·
Grand Street
19
At end of road, turn left onto Middlesex Street
383 ft
·
18 sec
·
Middlesex Street
20
Turn sharp right onto Arch Street
15 ft
·
5 sec
·
Arch Street
21
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
38 sec
22
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 33.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.8 miles from Dedham, 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 31.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
High Street
Turn left onto High Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
19.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit 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 50A-B
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike,...
9
20.1 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 50A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
8
30.7 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro
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 81B-C
Toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlbor...
8
31.4 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 81C
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.39 one way
$10.79 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $5.88 | $11.76 |
| premium | $4.82 | $6.40 | $12.80 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.44 | $14.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.8 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 | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| Efficient EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.95 | $1.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.72 | $2.16 |
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
City of Lowell, MA
Morning in City of Lowell on Sunday
Local time
10:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Patchy Fog
SE 2 to 7 mph
19% chance
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
8 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
47m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, featuring a 29% highway share. While there's a significant portion on local streets, you'll encounter a continuous 17-mile stretch on the Yankee Division Highway, providing a more open-road feel. The journey incorporates US 3 and Chelmsford Street, indicating a mix of highway and more intricate local road navigation. This profile means you'll be actively managing turns and varying speeds more than on a pure interstate cruise. The overall character is one of engaging local travel punctuated by sections of faster driving.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17 mi on Yankee Division Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near High Street.
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 16 decision points packed into just 33.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (High Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Dedham, MA and City of Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Portsmouth New Hampshire, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Marlboro and Chelmsford.
Portsmouth New Hampshire
2.7 mi in
|
~4m
Middlesex Turnpike
19.9 mi in
|
~28m
Burlington
19.9 mi in
|
~28m
Nashua New Hampshire
19.9 mi in
|
~28m
Marlboro
30.7 mi in
|
~41m
Chelmsford
31.1 mi in
|
~42m
About the Cities
Starting in Dedham, MA
Full guide →Dedham is a town in Massachusetts with a population of 25,000 (2020).
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 47m. Total distance: 33.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17 miles on Yankee Division Highway. 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 City of Lowell, 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 0.5 miles (High Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 19.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Lowell National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Adams 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.
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