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Trip from Foxborough, MA to 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

1h 6m

Distance

48.4 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

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 2m ★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States

Foxborough, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Lowell, MA, MA

Lowell, MA

Phil Evenden

Trip Overview

Foxborough to Lowell is 48.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 6 minutes via Yankee Division Highway and US 3, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Massachusetts, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a relatively short drive, suitable for a single day, and primarily utilizes major highways. Consider this route if you need a straightforward connection between these two points without extensive detours. It’s a practical choice for getting from point A to point B efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Yankee Division Highway 21.9 mi 29m
US 3 9.9 mi 11m
I 95 8.1 mi 9m
Mechanic Street 2.2 mi 3m
Chelmsford Street 1.4 mi 2m
University Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
Dedham Street 0.4 mi <1m
South Main Street 0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Yankee Division Highway — 21.9 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Foxborough, MA and Lowell, MA.

1

Start on this road

25 ft · 3 sec · this road
2

Turn right

165 ft · 13 sec
3

Turn right onto Mechanic Street

2.2 mi · 3 min · Mechanic Street
4

Continue on South Main Street

0.1 mi · 15 sec · South Main Street
5

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 45 sec
Toward I 95 North: Boston
6

Merge onto I 95

8.1 mi · 9 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 25 Toward Dedham Street, Westwood, Canton Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

329 ft · 10 sec
Toward Dedham Street, Westwood
9

Turn left onto Dedham Street

0.4 mi · 53 sec · Dedham Street
Use the left / right lanes.
10

Continue on Canton Street

0.1 mi · 14 sec · Canton Street
11

Turn right onto University Avenue

1.4 mi · 2 min · University Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 22 sec
13

Merge onto I 95; US 1; MA 128

22 mi · 29 min · Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

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.
15

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.
16

Continue on this road

0.4 mi · 35 sec · this road
Exit 50A Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
17

Continue on US 3

9.4 mi · 10 min · US 3
18

Keep slight left at fork onto US 3

0.5 mi · 32 sec · US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

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.
20

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 21 sec
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
21

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 81C Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
22

Turn right onto MA 110

1.4 mi · 2 min · Chelmsford Street
23

Turn right onto Cambridge Street

314 ft · 14 sec · Cambridge Street
24

Turn left onto Hale Street

486 ft · 13 sec · Hale Street
25

Arrive at destination

Hale Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Newton, MA, MA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Newton, MA

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.

Popular next leg

Newton, MA to Lowell, MA

26.7 mi · 36m

Pacing Suggestions

Canton, MA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Newton, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.2 miles from Foxborough, 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 19

5 decision points cluster between mile 10.9 and 46.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
10.9 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward Dedham Street, Westwood, Canton

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 25 Toward Dedham Street, Westwood, Canton
8
35.2 mi into trip | ~49m 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
35.4 mi into trip | ~49m 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
46 mi into trip | ~1h 2m 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
46.7 mi into trip | ~1h 3m 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

$7.75 one way

$15.49 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $8.45 $16.89
premium $4.82 $9.19 $18.38
diesel $5.61 $10.69 $21.37

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.9 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 $5.08 $2.32
Efficient EV 12.1 0 $4.23 $1.94
EV Truck/SUV 19.4 0 $6.78 $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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Foxborough, MA

Late night in Foxborough on Sunday

Local time

12:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

62°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lowell, MA

Late night in Lowell on Sunday

Local time

12:34 AM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Areas Of Fog then Mostly Cloudy

E 3 to 8 mph 3% 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

9 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 6m 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?

This is a mixed drive, with 37% of the route on highways, meaning you'll experience both faster-paced travel and potentially some surface street navigation. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 21.9 miles, primarily on the Yankee Division Highway. Expect the character of the drive to shift as you transition between the broader highway sections like US 3 and potentially more localized roads as you approach your destination. It's not a purely monotonous journey, offering a blend of speeds and road types.

37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.9 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 10.9 miles in.

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 48.4 miles you will encounter 19 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 10.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 35.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 35.4 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.

Between Foxborough, MA and Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Westwood, Canton, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire and Marlboro.

Westwood

10.9 mi in | ~14m

Canton

10.9 mi in | ~14m

Middlesex Turnpike

35.2 mi in | ~49m

Burlington

35.2 mi in | ~49m

Nashua New Hampshire

35.2 mi in | ~49m

Marlboro

46 mi in | ~1h 2m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 6m. Total distance: 48.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (37%). 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 21.9 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 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 10.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 35.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 35.4 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 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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