Origin
Dunstable, MA
Morning in Dunstable on Tuesday
Local time
6:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Dunstable, MA to Lowell, MA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
19m
Distance
11.9 mi
19 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 18m
★
6 AM
0h 19m
8 AM
0h 23m
10 AM
0h 21m
12 PM
0h 20m
3 PM
0h 21m
5 PM
0h 23m
8 PM
0h 18m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Dunstable, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
This short 11.9-mile drive from Dunstable, MA to Lowell, MA will take you about 19 minutes to complete. Given its brevity and low estimated fuel cost of $2, this route is perfectly suited as a single-day trip. You'll primarily be navigating US 3, Chelmsford Street, and Dunstable Road. The journey offers a mixed drive profile, making it a straightforward and efficient way to travel between these two Northeast Massachusetts locations. No overnight stays are necessary for this quick excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 5.9 mi | 6m |
| Chelmsford Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Dunstable Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Lowell Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Westford Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Hale Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cambridge Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 5.9 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Dunstable, MA and Lowell, MA.
1
Start on Main Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
2
Keep slight right at fork onto Lowell Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lowell Street
3
Continue on Dunstable Road
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Dunstable Road
4
Turn left onto Westford Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Westford Road
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward US 3 South: Burlington
6
Merge onto US 3
5.9 mi
·
6 min
·
US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
Exit 81C-B-A
Toward I 495, MA 110: Marlboro, Lawrence, Chelmsford
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 81C
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
9
Turn left onto MA 110
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Chelmsford Street
10
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
314 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cambridge Street
11
Turn left onto Hale Street
486 ft
·
13 sec
·
Hale Street
12
Arrive at destination
Hale Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 9.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Lowell Street
Keep slight right at fork onto Lowell Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
3.1 mi into trip
|
~7m in
|
Westford Road
Turn left onto Westford Road
Navigation decision point
5
3.7 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
US 3
Merge onto US 3
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
9.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward I 495, MA 110: Marlboro, Lawrence, Chelmsford
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 81C-B-A
Toward I 495, MA 110: Marlboro, Lawrence, Chelm...
7
9.9 mi into trip
|
~15m 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
$1.90 one way
$3.81 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.08 | $4.15 |
| premium | $4.82 | $2.26 | $4.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.63 | $5.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.6 | 0 | $1.25 | $0.57 |
| Efficient EV | 3 | 0 | $1.04 | $0.48 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.67 | $0.76 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
Lowell, MA
Morning in Lowell on Tuesday
Local time
6:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
20 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?
You'll experience a mixed drive on this route, with 49% of it being on highways. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 5.9 miles along US 3. This means you'll transition between faster-paced highway sections and potentially more local road driving as you progress. Expect a dynamic feel behind the wheel, as the road character shifts throughout the 11.9-mile journey.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.9 mi on US 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.5 miles in near Lowell Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 11.9 miles you will encounter 9 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 0.5 miles (Lowell Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.1 miles (Westford Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (US 3): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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 Dunstable, MA and Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Lawrence and Chelmsford.
Lawrence
9.6 mi in
|
~15m
Chelmsford
9.6 mi in
|
~15m
About the Cities
Arriving in Lowell, MA
Full guide →Lowell is a city in Massachusetts about 40 minutes northwest of Boston. With over 115,000 residents (2020), it's the fifth largest city in Massachusetts, and has an important historical background. It was the first planned industrial city in the United States.
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 19m. Total distance: 11.9 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 (49%). 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 5.9 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 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 (Lowell Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 3.1 miles (Westford Road): Navigation decision point; at 3.7 miles (US 3): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
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 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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