Origin
Lancaster, MA
Late night in Lancaster on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lancaster, 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
36m
Distance
26.8 mi
43 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lancaster, MA
Italo Melo
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
This quick 26.8-mile drive from Lancaster to Lowell, Massachusetts, is designed for efficiency, taking just about 36 minutes. It's a straightforward, highway-focused journey, with 66% of the route utilizing major roads like I-495. Given its short distance and duration, this trip is ideal as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. You can expect a modest fuel cost of around $4 for this journey through the Northeast region. This route prioritizes getting you from point A to point B with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 495 | 17.7 mi | 20m |
| Main Street | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| Chelmsford Street | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Still River Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Center Bridge Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Lower Bolton Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Hale Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cambridge Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 495
— 17.7 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lancaster, MA and Lowell, MA.
1
Start on Thayer Memorial Drive
62 ft
·
11 sec
·
Thayer Memorial Drive
2
Turn left onto MA 70
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Main Street
3
Turn slight left onto Center Bridge Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Center Bridge Road
4
Turn left onto MA 110
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Lower Bolton Road
5
Turn straight onto MA 110
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Still River Road
6
Turn right onto MA 117
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
Toward I 495 North: Lowell, Lawrence
8
Merge onto I 495
18 mi
·
20 min
·
I 495
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 88
Toward MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
10
Turn right onto MA 110
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Chelmsford Street
11
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
314 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cambridge Street
12
Turn left onto Hale Street
486 ft
·
13 sec
·
Hale Street
13
Arrive at destination
Hale Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 23.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MA 70 / Main Street
Turn left onto MA 70 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
4
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
MA 117 / Main Street
Turn right onto MA 117 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
5
5.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 North: Lowell, Lawrence
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 495 North: Lowell, Lawrence
5
6.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 495
Merge onto I 495
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
23.8 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 88
Toward MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.29 one way
$8.58 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.68 | $9.35 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.09 | $10.18 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.92 | $11.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8 | 0 | $2.81 | $1.29 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.75 | $1.72 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Lowell, MA
Late night in Lowell on Sunday
Local time
2:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°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
1 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
36m 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 predominantly highway experience on this 26.8-mile trip, with about two-thirds of the drive, or 66%, on major roadways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.7 miles on I-495, offering a consistent pace. While primarily a highway-focused profile, you will transition to local roads like Main Street and Chelmsford Street as you approach your destination. This blend means you'll experience periods of faster travel interspersed with more localized navigation towards the end.
66% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.7 mi on I 495.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 495 and Main Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MA 70 / Main Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 36m drive. You will face about 8 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MA 70 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (MA 117 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles: 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.
On the drive from Lancaster, MA to Lowell, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Lawrence along the way.
Lawrence
5.8 mi in
|
~10m
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 36m. Total distance: 26.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (66%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.7 miles on I 495. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start (MA 70 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (MA 117 / Main Street): Navigation decision point; at 5.8 miles: 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 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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