Origin
Lowell, MA
Late night in Lowell on Tuesday
Local time
5:08 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lowell, MA to Boxford, MA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
21.7 mi
35 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Boxford, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 21.7-mile drive from Lowell, MA to Boxford, MA takes about 36 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. The route is primarily composed of highways (42% highway share), with a longest uninterrupted stretch of 9.1 miles on I-495. You'll spend about $3 on fuel for this journey, which falls within the Northeast region. Given its short duration and straightforward path, this trip doesn't require an overnight stay. It's a practical option for a quick hop between two points in Massachusetts.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 495 | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Salem Street | 2.4 mi | 5m |
| Boxford Street | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Main Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Haverhill Street | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Lowell Connector | 1 mi | 1m |
| Lawrence Road | 1 mi | 2m |
| Andover Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 495
— 9.1 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lowell, MA and Boxford, 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
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
7
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 1B
Toward I 495 North: Lawrence
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto I 495
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
I 495
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
47 sec
Exit 99A
Toward MA 28 South: Andover
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn straight onto MA 28
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
·
North Main Street
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn left onto MA 133
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Haverhill Street
12
Continue on MA 133
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Peters Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on Andover Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Andover Street
14
Enter roundabout onto Johnson Street
13 ft
·
0 sec
·
Johnson Street
15
Continue on Johnson Street
501 ft
·
12 sec
·
Johnson Street
16
Continue on Salem Street
2.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Salem Street
17
Continue on Boxford Street
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Boxford Street
18
Continue on Lawrence Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Lawrence Road
19
Turn straight onto Main Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Main Street
20
Turn slight right onto Topsfield Road Extension
375 ft
·
16 sec
·
Topsfield Road Extension
21
Continue on Topsfield Road
81 ft
·
2 sec
·
Topsfield Road
22
Arrive at destination
Topsfield Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 12.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cambridge Street
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MA 110 / Chelmsford Street
Turn left onto MA 110 / Chelmsford Street
Navigation decision point
7
2.1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the exit toward I 495 North: Lawrence
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 1B
Toward I 495 North: Lawrence
5
3 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 495
Merge onto I 495
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
12.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward MA 28 South: Andover
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 99A
Toward MA 28 South: Andover
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.47 one way
$6.95 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $3.79 | $7.57 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.12 | $8.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.79 | $9.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.90 | $0.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Boxford, MA
Late night in Boxford on Tuesday
Local time
5:08 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
20 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
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?
The drive from Lowell to Boxford offers a mixed driving experience. While 42% of the journey is on the interstate, you'll also navigate local roads like Salem Street and Boxford Street. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 9.1 miles on I-495, providing a taste of highway speed. As you transition off the interstate, expect the character of the drive to change, introducing you to different road types. This blend means you'll experience both faster travel and more localized driving conditions.
42% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.1 mi on I 495.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Cambridge Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 21.7 miles you will encounter 12 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 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (MA 110 / Chelmsford Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 36m. Total distance: 21.7 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 (42%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.1 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 Boxford, 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 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (MA 110 / Chelmsford Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.1 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 Boxford, 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.
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