Origin
Lawrence, MA
Late night in Lawrence on Sunday
Local time
3:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lawrence, MA to Reading, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
24m
Distance
13.6 mi
22 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 22m
★
6 AM
0h 24m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 25m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 28m
8 PM
0h 23m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lawrence, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Reading, MA
Vika Glitter
Trip Overview
Lawrence, MA to Reading, MA is 13.6 miles and takes about 24 minutes via North Main Street, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a quick, local drive that stays within the Northeast region and Massachusetts. Expect a straightforward trip with no highway driving, making it a simple in-and-out journey. It’s a short enough distance that you can easily fit it into an afternoon without feeling rushed.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| North Main Street | 11.2 mi | 19m |
| South Union Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Parker Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Amesbury Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Salem Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Winthrop Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Connector Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Eaton Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
North Main Street
— 11.2 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lawrence, MA and Reading, MA.
1
Start on Essex Street
82 ft
·
5 sec
·
Essex Street
2
Turn right onto Amesbury Street
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Amesbury Street
3
Continue on MA 114
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
Parker Street
4
Continue on MA 114
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Winthrop Avenue
5
Turn right onto South Union Street
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
South Union Street
6
Continue on Connector Road
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Connector Road
7
Turn straight onto MA 28
162 ft
·
4 sec
·
South Broadway
8
Continue on MA 28
11 mi
·
19 min
·
North Main Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto MA 129
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
·
Salem Street
10
Turn right onto Eaton Street
514 ft
·
22 sec
·
Eaton Street
11
Arrive at destination
Eaton Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
4 of 44 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 13.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Amesbury Street
Turn right onto Amesbury Street
Navigation decision point
3
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
South Union Street
Turn right onto South Union Street
Navigation decision point
4
13.1 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
MA 129 / Salem Street
Turn left onto MA 129 / Salem Street
Navigation decision point
3
13.5 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Eaton Street
Turn right onto Eaton Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.18 one way
$4.35 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.37 | $4.75 |
| premium | $4.82 | $2.58 | $5.16 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.00 | $6.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.65 |
| Efficient EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.19 | $0.54 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.90 | $0.87 |
Gas CO2
5 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (60% 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
Reading, MA
Late night in Reading on Sunday
Local time
3:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°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
15 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
24m 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?
This route is characterized by its numerous turns, making it a distinctly local drive. With a 0% highway share, you'll be navigating surface streets for the entire 13.6 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 11.2 miles along North Main Street, offering a brief period of consistent driving before the road begins to change. You’ll primarily be on North Main Street, South Union Street, and Parker Street, so be prepared for frequent adjustments in direction.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.2 mi on North Main Street.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Amesbury Street.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 24m drive. You will face about 4 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 (Amesbury Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (South Union Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.1 miles (MA 129 / Salem Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Lawrence, MA
Full guide →Lawrence is a city in Massachusetts with a population of about 89,000 (2020). Methuen is a city in Massachusetts with a population of 53,000 (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 24m. Total distance: 13.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 11.2 miles on North Main Street. 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 (Amesbury Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.2 miles (South Union Street): Navigation decision point; at 13.1 miles (MA 129 / Salem Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Lowell National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Salem Maritime 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 Reading, 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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