Origin
Newton, MA
Morning in Newton on Sunday
Local time
8:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newton, 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
38m
Distance
27.3 mi
44 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 35m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newton, MA
Wikimedia Commons
City of Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick trip from Newton to Lowell, you are looking at a straightforward 27.3-mile journey that typically takes about 38 minutes. This route stays entirely within the Northeast region of Massachusetts, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. You will primarily navigate via the Yankee Division Highway, US 3, and Commonwealth Avenue. With an estimated fuel cost of just $4, it is a budget-friendly way to connect these two cities. Because the drive is so short and efficient, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or multiple stops along the way.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Yankee Division Highway | 10 mi | 13m |
| US 3 | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| Commonwealth Avenue | 3.1 mi | 4m |
| Chelmsford Street | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Homer Street | 0.1 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
— 10 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Newton, MA and City of Lowell, MA.
1
Start on Homer Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Homer Street
2
Turn left onto MA 30
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Commonwealth Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Continue on MA 30
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Commonwealth Avenue
4
Take the ramp
358 ft
·
8 sec
Toward I 95 North: Portsmouth, New Hampshire
5
Continue on this road
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
·
this road
Toward I 95 North: Portsmouth New Hampshire
6
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
10 mi
·
13 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 165 decision points cluster between mile 13.5 and 25 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
13.5 mi into trip
|
~19m 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
13.7 mi into trip
|
~19m 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
6
23.8 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
US 3
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
24.3 mi into trip
|
~32m 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
25 mi into trip
|
~33m 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
$4.37 one way
$8.74 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.76 | $9.53 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.18 | $10.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.03 | $12.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 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 | 8.2 | 0 | $2.87 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.39 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
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.
Destination
City of Lowell, MA
Morning in City of Lowell on Sunday
Local time
8:10 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
38m 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 trip features a mixed drive profile, blending local navigation with faster highway segments. Roughly 36% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a balanced experience behind the wheel. You can expect your longest uninterrupted stretch to be a 10-mile run on the Yankee Division Highway, which helps move you quickly between the two locales. As you transition from the local streets of Newton onto the larger thoroughfares, the pace of the drive shifts noticeably. It is a functional commute that offers enough variety to keep you engaged without becoming overly taxing.
36% 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: 10 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 13.5 miles in.
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 16 decision points packed into just 27.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 13.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.8 miles (US 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
199 ft
62 ft
Total Climb
247 ft
Total Descent
246 ft
Highest Point
199 ft
~19.5 mi in
Elevation Range
137 ft
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 Newton, MA and City of Lowell, MA, road signs point toward New Hampshire, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Marlboro and Chelmsford.
New Hampshire
3.2 mi in
|
~5m
Middlesex Turnpike
13.5 mi in
|
~19m
Burlington
13.5 mi in
|
~19m
Nashua New Hampshire
13.5 mi in
|
~19m
Marlboro
24.3 mi in
|
~32m
Chelmsford
24.7 mi in
|
~33m
About the Cities
Starting in Newton, MA
Full guide →Newton is a city in Massachusetts and a western suburb of Boston. Newton is nicknamed "The Garden City" and is one of Boston's oldest suburbs, settled in 1630.
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 38m. Total distance: 27.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10 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 13.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.8 miles (US 3): 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 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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