Origin
Lowell, MA
Late night in Lowell on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lowell, MA to Acton, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
25m
Distance
15.4 mi
25 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 23m
★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 27m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 27m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Acton, MA
Italo Melo
Trip Overview
Lowell to Acton is 15.4 miles and takes about 25 minutes via I-495 and Great Road, with a fuel budget near $2 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Massachusetts, making it a convenient option for a quick journey. The drive offers a mixed experience, balancing highway speeds with local road navigation. Consider this route if you're looking for an easy, same-day excursion without significant time commitment or a large fuel expense.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 495 | 5 mi | 5m |
| Great Road | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Powers Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 1.4 mi | 3m |
| Littleton Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Lowell Connector | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Chelmsford Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
| Boston Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 495
— 5 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lowell, MA and Acton, MA.
1
Start on Hale Street
486 ft
·
14 sec
·
Hale Street
2
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
314 ft
·
16 sec
·
Cambridge Street
3
Turn left onto MA 110
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
Chelmsford Street
4
Turn left onto Plain Street
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Plain Street
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
6
Merge onto Lowell Connector
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 2B-A
Toward I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nashua New Hampshire
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 2A
Toward I 495 South: Worcester
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 495 South: Marlboro
10
Merge onto I 495
5.0 mi
·
5 min
·
I 495
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 83
Toward Westford
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight left at fork
189 ft
·
11 sec
Toward Boston Road, Nashoba Valley Ski Area
13
Turn left onto Boston Road
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
·
Boston Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
14
Turn right onto MA 110
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Littleton Road
Use the right lane.
15
Turn left onto Powers Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Powers Road
16
At end of road, turn left onto MA 2A; MA 119
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Great Road
Use the left lane.
17
Turn right onto MA 27
1.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
18
Turn sharp left onto Concord Road
326 ft
·
9 sec
·
Concord Road
19
Arrive at destination
Concord Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 11.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nashua New Hampshire
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 2B-A
Toward I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nash...
8
2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 South: Worcester
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 2A
Toward I 495 South: Worcester
7
7.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward Westford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 83
Toward Westford
7
8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Boston Road, Nashoba Valley Ski Area
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Boston Road, Nashoba Valley Ski Area
7
11.2 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
MA 2A; MA 119 / Great Road
At end of road, turn left onto MA 2A; MA 119 / Great Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.46 one way
$4.93 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
5 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $2.69 | $5.38 |
| premium | $4.82 | $2.92 | $5.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.40 | $6.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.62 | $0.74 |
| Efficient EV | 3.9 | 0 | $1.35 | $0.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.2 | 0 | $2.16 | $0.99 |
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
Acton, MA
Late night in Acton on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
55°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
8 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
25m 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 drive is a mixed bag, with about 32% of your time spent on the highway. You'll encounter stretches on I-495, including one continuous segment of 5 miles, which will allow for faster travel. As you transition off the interstate, the route incorporates Great Road and Powers Road, introducing more local traffic and potentially lower speed limits. This blend means you'll experience both the efficiency of highway driving and the more intimate feel of navigating through towns.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5 mi on I 495.
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 1.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 15 decision points packed into just 15.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 25m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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.
Between Lowell, MA and Acton, MA, road signs point toward Nashua New Hampshire, Westford and Nashoba Valley Ski Area.
Nashua New Hampshire
1.8 mi in
|
~3m
Westford
7.8 mi in
|
~10m
Nashoba Valley Ski Area
8 mi in
|
~10m
About the Cities
Starting 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 25m. Total distance: 15.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 5 miles on I 495. 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 Acton, 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 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Acton, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Acton, MA
More trips to Acton, MA
Explore more options from Lowell, MA or browse trips ending in Acton, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.