Origin
Newbury, MA
Morning in Newbury on Tuesday
Local time
6:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newbury, MA to Lowell, 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
54m
Distance
30.6 mi
49 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
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newbury, MA
Banx Photography
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
This 30.6-mile drive from Newbury, MA to Lowell, MA takes about 54 minutes and is best suited as a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate on I-495, Andover Street, and Great Pond Road, with 32% of the journey being on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this short hop is around $5, making it an economical option. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick transition between two points within the Northeast region, requiring no overnight stays. It offers a straightforward connection between these Massachusetts communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 495 | 7.8 mi | 9m |
| Andover Street | 3 mi | 6m |
| Great Pond Road | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Newburyport Turnpike | 2 mi | 2m |
| Elm Street | 2 mi | 3m |
| North Street | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Willow Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Newman Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 495
— 7.8 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newbury, MA and Lowell, MA.
1
Start on High Road
73 ft
·
3 sec
·
High Road
2
Keep slight right at fork onto High Road
87 ft
·
4 sec
·
High Road
3
Turn right onto Newman Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Newman Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto Hay Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Hay Street
5
Continue on Boston Road
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Boston Road
6
Turn left onto US 1
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Newburyport Turnpike
7
Turn right onto Elm Street
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Elm Street
8
Continue on Jackman Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Jackman Street
9
Continue on Jewett Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Jewett Street
10
Turn slight left onto North Street
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
North Street
11
Turn slight right onto MA 133
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Andover Street
12
Continue on MA 133
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Willow Road
13
Continue on MA 133
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington Street
14
Turn left onto Essex Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Essex Street
15
Turn straight onto Great Pond Road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Great Pond Road
16
Continue on Great Pond Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Great Pond Road
17
Enter roundabout onto Andover Street
149 ft
·
3 sec
·
Andover Street
18
Continue on Andover Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Andover Street
19
Continue on MA 133
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Peters Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
20
Continue on MA 133
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Haverhill Street
21
Turn right onto MA 28
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
North Main Street
22
Continue on MA 28
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Union Street
Use the straight lane.
23
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 495 South: Lowell, Marlboro
24
Merge onto I 495
7.8 mi
·
9 min
·
I 495
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
Exit 91
Toward South Lowell, North Billerica
Use the slight right lane.
26
Turn right onto Woburn Street
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Woburn Street
27
Turn left onto Lawrence Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Lawrence Street
28
Turn left onto Moore Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Moore Street
29
At end of road, turn right onto MA 3A
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Gorham Street
30
Continue on MA 3A
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Thorndike Street
31
Turn left onto YMCA Drive
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
YMCA Drive
32
Continue on Hale Street
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Hale Street
33
Arrive at destination
Hale Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 30.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15.3 miles from Newbury, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 28.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
High Road
Keep slight right at fork onto High Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Hay Street
At end of road, turn left onto Hay Street
Navigation decision point
4
2.4 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 1 / Newburyport Turnpike
Turn left onto US 1 / Newburyport Turnpike
Navigation decision point
5
20.5 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
I 495
Merge onto I 495
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
28.3 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward South Lowell, North Billerica
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 91
Toward South Lowell, North Billerica
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.90 one way
$9.79 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $5.34 | $10.68 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.81 | $11.62 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.76 | $13.51 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.14
Newburyport Turnpike
(2 mi)
$0.14
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
| Efficient EV | 7.7 | 0 | $2.68 | $1.22 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.28 | $1.96 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Lowell, MA
Morning in Lowell on Tuesday
Local time
6:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°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
18 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
54m 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?
Expect a mixed driving experience on this route, with a significant portion on I-495. The highway share is 32%, and you'll encounter an uninterrupted stretch of 7.8 miles on I-495. As you transition off the interstate, the drive will likely involve local roads like Andover Street and Great Pond Road, offering a change of pace from the faster highway segments. This blend means you'll experience both efficient travel and more localized navigation as you approach your destination.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
33 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 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 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near High Road.
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 30.6 miles you will encounter 16 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: near the start (High Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.2 miles (Hay Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (US 1 / Newburyport Turnpike): Navigation decision point.
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 Newbury, MA and Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Marlboro and Billerica.
Marlboro
20.1 mi in
|
~38m
Billerica
28.3 mi in
|
~48m
About the Cities
Arriving 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 54m. Total distance: 30.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m 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 with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on I 495. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.14 in tolls one way, starting with Newburyport Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 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: near the start (High Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 1.2 miles (Hay Street): Navigation decision point; at 2.4 miles (US 1 / Newburyport Turnpike): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Lowell National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Salem Maritime 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 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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