Origin
Lowell, MA
Late night in Lowell on Sunday
Local time
2:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lowell, MA to Malden, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
24.2 mi
39 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 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
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
Malden, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lowell to Malden is 24.2 miles and takes about 35 minutes via US 3, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip entirely within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its brief duration, it's ideal for a quick transit or a segment of a larger journey. You'll experience a mixed drive with a significant portion on main roads, making it efficient for getting from point A to point B without a major time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 10.7 mi | 13m |
| South Border Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Lowell Connector | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Cambridge Road | 2 mi | 2m |
| Cambridge Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Church Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Fellsway West | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 10.7 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lowell, MA and Malden, 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
Continue on Lowell Connector
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 1A
Toward US 3 South: Boston
8
Merge onto US 3
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
US 3
9
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
US 3
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
·
US 3
11
Merge onto I 95; US 3; MA 128
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
12
Take the exit onto US 3
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
US 3
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto US 3
0.4 mi
·
34 sec
·
Cambridge Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Continue on US 3
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Cambridge Road
15
Continue on US 3
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Cambridge Street
16
Turn left onto Church Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Church Street
Use the left lane.
17
Enter roundabout onto Mount Vernon Street
122 ft
·
2 sec
·
Mount Vernon Street
18
Continue on Mount Vernon Street
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Mount Vernon Street
19
Continue on Mount Vernon Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
Mount Vernon Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
20
Continue on South Border Road
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
South Border Road
21
Enter roundabout onto MA 28
262 ft
·
4 sec
·
Fellsway West
Toward MA 28 South: Fellsway West, Malden
22
Continue on MA 28
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Fellsway West
Toward MA 28 South: Fellsway West, Malden
23
Turn left onto MA 60
425 ft
·
7 sec
·
Salem Street
Use the left lane.
24
Continue on MA 60
0.6 mi
·
55 sec
·
Pleasant Street
25
Continue on MA 60
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Centre Street
Use the straight lane.
26
Turn right onto Ruing Court
81 ft
·
12 sec
·
Ruing Court
27
Turn left
111 ft
·
8 sec
28
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 12.3 and 21.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
12.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 3
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3 toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 72A
Toward I 95 North, US 3 South: Boston, Peabody
7
14.6 mi into trip
|
~19m in
|
US 3
Take the exit onto US 3 toward US 3 South: Winchester
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 51A
Toward US 3 South: Winchester
5
14.8 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
US 3 / Cambridge Street
Merge onto US 3 / Cambridge Street
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
18.3 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
Church Street
Turn left onto Church Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
21.9 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
MA 28 / Fellsway West
Enter roundabout onto MA 28 / Fellsway West toward MA 28 South: Fellsway West, Malden
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MA 28 South: Fellsway West, Malden
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.87 one way
$7.75 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.22 | $8.45 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.60 | $9.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.34 | $10.69 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.54 | $1.16 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.12 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.39 | $1.55 |
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
Malden, MA
Late night in Malden on Sunday
Local time
2:01 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
35m 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 offers a mixed experience, with 44% of the journey on highways. You'll encounter stretches on US 3, South Border Road, and the Lowell Connector, providing a blend of faster-paced travel and more local road conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10.7 miles on US 3. Expect the road to transition between these different types of thoroughfares, requiring you to adjust your driving style accordingly as you navigate from the Lowell area toward Malden.
44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.7 mi on US 3.
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 12.3 miles in near US 3.
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 19 decision points packed into just 24.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 35m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.3 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.6 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles (US 3 / Cambridge Street): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
On the drive from Lowell, MA to Malden, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Peabody along the way.
Peabody
12.3 mi in
|
~15m
|
via US 3
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 35m. Total distance: 24.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
35m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.7 miles on US 3. 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 Malden, 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 12.3 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.6 miles (US 3): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.8 miles (US 3 / Cambridge Street): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Malden, 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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