Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 10m
Distance
50.8 mi
82 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lawrence, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Walpole, MA
Italo Melo
Lawrence to Walpole is 50.8 miles and takes about 1 hour 10 minutes via Yankee Division Highway and I-495, 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 another part of the Northeast. Expect a mix of highway driving and surface roads, making it a straightforward one-day excursion. It's a practical route for getting from point A to point B without extensive planning.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Yankee Division Highway | 18.5 mi | 25m |
| US 3 | 9.8 mi | 11m |
| I 495 | 9.2 mi | 10m |
| High Street | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Fisher Street | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| North Street | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Union Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 513 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~5,945 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~231 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
25.7×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Lawrence, MA and Walpole, MA.
Start on Essex Street
Turn right onto Amesbury Street
Continue on MA 114
Continue on MA 114
Turn right onto South Union Street
Continue on Connector Road
Turn straight onto MA 28
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto US 3
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
Take the exit
Turn straight onto MA 109
Turn left onto North Street
Continue on Fisher Street
At end of road, turn right onto MA 1A
Turn left onto Common Street
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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.
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 25.4 miles from Lawrence, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 11.5 and 23 — 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
Keep slight right at fork toward US 3 South: Burlington, Logan Airport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward US 3 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$6.90 one way
$13.80 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $3.85 | $7.70 | $15.40 |
| premium | $4.15 | $8.30 | $16.60 |
| diesel | $3.75 | $7.50 | $15.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.8 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.33 | $2.44 |
| Efficient EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.45 | $2.03 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.3 | 0 | $7.11 | $3.25 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Lawrence on Sunday
Local time
4:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers
Destination
Afternoon in Walpole on Sunday
Local time
4:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Cloudy then Chance Rain Showers
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
About 37% of this 50.8-mile drive is on highways, with the longest stretch on Yankee Division Highway covering 18.5 miles. You'll transition from highway cruising to surface roads, which will likely involve more frequent stops and lower speeds. Pay attention as you exit the main highways, as traffic patterns can change.
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 11.5 miles in.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.8 miles you will encounter 16 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 11.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
428 ft
Total Descent
310 ft
Highest Point
237 ft
~43.6 mi in
Elevation Range
193 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Lawrence, MA and Walpole, MA, road signs point toward Nashua New Hampshire and Logan Airport.
Nashua New Hampshire
Logan Airport
Founded 1655
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).
Top landmarks
Founded 1659
Walpole is a town of 26,000 (2020) in Massachusetts.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 10m. Total distance: 50.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 10m 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.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, 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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