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Trip from Needham, MA to City of Lowell, MA

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

42m

Distance

29.9 mi

48 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 39m ★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Needham, MA, MA

Needham, MA

Мария Кашина

Downtown City of Lowell, MA, MA

City of Lowell, MA

Phil Evenden

Trip Overview

Embarking on this 30.4-mile journey from Needham, MA, to the City of Lowell, MA, will take approximately 37 minutes. This short, one-day trip is easily manageable, requiring no overnight stops. The estimated fuel cost for this drive is around $5, making it an economical option. You'll navigate through local streets for the entirety of the route, so expect a more connected, community-focused experience rather than a highway cruise. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, keeping your travel geographically focused.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Yankee Division Highway 13.7 mi 18m
US 3 9.9 mi 11m
Chelmsford Street 1.8 mi 2m
Highland Avenue 1.7 mi 2m
May Street 0.2 mi <1m
Westford Street <0.1 mi <1m
Grand Street <0.1 mi <1m
Middlesex Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Yankee Division Highway — 13.7 mi, about 18m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Needham, MA and City of Lowell, MA.

1

Start on Warren Street

200 ft · 10 sec · Warren Street
2

Turn right onto May Street

0.2 mi · 28 sec · May Street
3

Turn right onto Highland Avenue

1.7 mi · 2 min · Highland Avenue
Use the straight lane.
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 49 sec
Toward I 95 North: Waltham
5

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 34 sec
6

Merge onto I 95; MA 128

14 mi · 18 min · Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Exit 50A-B Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork

0.3 mi · 49 sec
Exit 50A Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on this road

0.4 mi · 35 sec · this road
Exit 50A Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
10

Continue on US 3

9.4 mi · 10 min · US 3
11

Keep slight left at fork onto US 3

0.5 mi · 32 sec · US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 43 sec
Exit 81B-C Toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 21 sec
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
14

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 81C Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
15

Turn right onto MA 110

1.8 mi · 2 min · Chelmsford Street
16

Turn sharp left onto MA 3A

458 ft · 10 sec · Westford Street
17

Turn right onto Grand Street

448 ft · 23 sec · Grand Street
18

At end of road, turn left onto Middlesex Street

383 ft · 18 sec · Middlesex Street
19

Turn sharp right onto Arch Street

15 ft · 5 sec · Arch Street
20

Turn left

0.1 mi · 38 sec
21

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 27.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | Highland Avenue

Turn right onto Highland Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
8
16.2 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 50A-B Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike,...
9
16.3 mi into trip | ~23m in

Keep slight right at fork toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 50A Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
8
26.9 mi into trip | ~36m in

Take the exit toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 81B-C Toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlbor...
8
27.6 mi into trip | ~37m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 81C Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.79 one way

$9.57 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $5.22 $10.44
premium $4.82 $5.68 $11.35
diesel $5.61 $6.60 $13.20

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9 0 $3.14 $1.44
Efficient EV 7.5 0 $2.62 $1.20
EV Truck/SUV 12 0 $4.19 $1.91

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Needham, MA

Morning in Needham on Sunday

Local time

8:00 AM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

City of Lowell, MA

Morning in City of Lowell on Sunday

Local time

8:00 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

42m 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 characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' with a 0% highway share. You won't encounter any prolonged stretches of high-speed driving; instead, anticipate frequent turns and intersections as you make your way through local communities. The longest uninterrupted stretch is not applicable given the nature of the drive. This means you'll be consistently engaged with the road and your surroundings, experiencing the ebb and flow of daily traffic and local life.

33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.7 mi on Yankee Division Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 0.2 miles in near Highland Avenue.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 18 decision points packed into just 29.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Needham, MA and City of Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Marlboro and Chelmsford.

Middlesex Turnpike

16.2 mi in | ~23m

Burlington

16.2 mi in | ~23m

Nashua New Hampshire

16.2 mi in | ~23m

Marlboro

26.9 mi in | ~36m

Chelmsford

27.4 mi in | ~37m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 29.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

42m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (33%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 13.7 miles on Yankee Division Highway. 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 City of Lowell, 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 0.2 miles (Highland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 16.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Lowell National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Boston National Historical Park (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at City of Lowell, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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