Origin
Lowell, MA
Morning in Lowell on Friday
Local time
7:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lowell, MA to Watertown, MA
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
35m
Distance
22.8 mi
37 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 32m
★
6 AM
0h 35m
8 AM
0h 41m
10 AM
0h 37m
12 PM
0h 37m
3 PM
0h 38m
5 PM
0h 41m
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
Watertown, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Lowell, MA to Watertown, MA covers 22.8 miles and takes about 35m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on US 3, Lowell Connector, Massachusetts Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.1 miles on US 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.80 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Lowell Connector | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Bedford Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Mill Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Orchard Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Winter Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 9.1 mi, about 10m
Traffic on I-95
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 111 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~6,021 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~206 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
29.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 96 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lowell, MA and Watertown, 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 right at fork
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 72B
Toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 49A
Toward MA 4 South, MA 225 East: Lexington
Use the right lane.
12
Turn straight onto MA 4; MA 225
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Bedford Street
13
At end of road, turn straight
83 ft
·
2 sec
14
Turn slight right onto MA 4; MA 225
456 ft
·
7 sec
·
Bedford Street
15
Continue on MA 4; MA 225
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
16
Turn right onto MA 4; MA 225
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
Pleasant Street
17
Enter roundabout onto MA 4; MA 225
86 ft
·
1 sec
·
Watertown Street
18
Continue on MA 4; MA 225
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Watertown Street
19
Continue on Winter Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Winter Street
20
Turn left onto Concord Avenue
527 ft
·
10 sec
·
Concord Avenue
21
Keep slight right at fork onto Mill Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Mill Street
22
At end of road, turn left onto MA 60
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Trapelo Road
23
Turn slight right onto Lexington Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lexington Street
24
At end of road, turn right onto Belmont Street
187 ft
·
3 sec
·
Belmont Street
25
Turn slight left onto Lexington Street
303 ft
·
15 sec
·
Lexington Street
26
Turn slight left onto Orchard Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Orchard Street
27
Enter roundabout onto Church Street
14 ft
·
0 sec
·
Church Street
28
Continue on Church Street
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Church Street
29
Turn sharp right onto Oliver Street
428 ft
·
19 sec
·
Oliver Street
30
Arrive at destination
Oliver Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 195 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 22.7 — 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
8
12.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 72B
Toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
8
13.9 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward MA 4 South, MA 225 East: Lexington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 49A
Toward MA 4 South, MA 225 East: Lexington
6
22.7 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
Oliver Street
Turn sharp right onto Oliver Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.80 one way
$7.61 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $4.19 | $8.37 |
| premium | $5.06 | $4.54 | $9.08 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $5.03 | $10.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.19 | $1.46 |
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
Watertown, MA
Morning in Watertown on Friday
Local time
7:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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?
22.8 mi in 35m — 40% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: US 3.
40% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
30 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.1 mi on US 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.1 miles in near Cambridge Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 19 decision points packed into just 22.8 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 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (MA 110 / Chelmsford Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
229 ft
62 ft
Total Climb
277 ft
Total Descent
331 ft
Highest Point
229 ft
~8.1 mi in
Elevation Range
167 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Lowell, MA
Full guide →Founded 1653
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.
Top landmarks
- • Middlesex Canal — canal in Massachusetts, United States of America
- • Lowell National Historical Park — U.S. national park located in Massachusetts
- • St. Patrick's Church — church building in Massachusetts, United States of America
Arriving in Watertown, MA
Full guide →Founded 1630
Watertown is a city in the Greater Boston metropolitan area of Massachusetts.
Top landmarks
- • Mount Auburn Cemetery — cemetery in Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts
- • Armenian Museum of America — museum in Watertown, Massachusetts, U.S.
- • Charles River Reservation Parkways — historic district 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: 22.8 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 (40%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9.1 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 Watertown, 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 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Watertown, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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