Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
32m
Distance
23.5 mi
38 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Haverhill, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Chelmsford, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Haverhill, MA to Chelmsford, MA is 23.5 miles and takes about 32 minutes via I 495, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and remains entirely within Massachusetts. Given its brief duration, it's an easy drive for a single day, perfect for local travel or connecting between nearby towns. You'll spend most of your time on the highway, making it a straightforward commute.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 495 | 17.1 mi | 20m |
| River Street | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Westford Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Chelmsford Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Merrimack Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Fletcher Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Washington Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Clover Hill Drive | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 97 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~4,401 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~308 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
14.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Haverhill, MA and Chelmsford, MA.
Start on MA 125
Turn right onto MA 113
Continue on MA 110; MA 113
Continue on MA 110; MA 113
Continue on MA 110; MA 113
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Continue on this road
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MA 110
Turn right onto Fletcher Street
At end of road, turn right onto MA 4
Turn left onto Worthen Street
Continue on Worthen Street
Turn right onto Westford Street
Turn left onto Clover Hill Drive
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 19.8 and 22.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Take the exit toward US 3: Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward US 3: Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward MA 4, MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward MA 110 West: Chelmsford
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
At end of road, turn right onto MA 4 / North Road
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Regular Gas
$4.17 one way
$8.34 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.90 | $4.53 | $9.06 |
| premium | $5.29 | $4.90 | $9.79 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $4.95 | $9.90 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Haverhill on Wednesday
Local time
5:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Partly Sunny
Destination
Evening in Chelmsford on Wednesday
Local time
5:49 PM
EDT
Current temp
85°F
Partly Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
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.
This route is predominantly highway driving, with 73% of the trip on major roadways. You'll experience a solid stretch of 17.1 miles on I 495 before transitioning to surface streets. Expect to encounter a higher density of exits and merging traffic as you navigate this section.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 495 and River Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 19.8 miles in.
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 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 32m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 19.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 20 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
312 ft
Total Descent
125 ft
Highest Point
235 ft
~23.5 mi in
Elevation Range
199 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Haverhill, MA and Chelmsford, MA, road signs point toward Nashua New Hampshire and Lowell.
Nashua New Hampshire
Lowell
Founded 1640
Haverhill is a city in Massachusetts with a population of about 68,000 (2020).
Top landmarks
Founded 1633
Westford is a city in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts. With a population of roughly 25,000 (2020), it's a thriving outer suburb of Lowell, with high tech industries. Nashoba Valley ski area is here. Chelmsford is a town in Massachusetts with a population of about 36,000 (2020). It's about 20 minutes west of Lowell.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 32m. Total distance: 23.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
32m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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