Origin
Newton, MA
Late night in Newton on Sunday
Local time
2:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Newton, MA to 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
36m
Distance
26.7 mi
43 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 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Newton, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
Newton, MA to Lowell, MA is 26.7 miles and takes about 36 minutes via Yankee Division Highway/US 3, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward trip stays within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a short drive, perfect for a quick excursion or an easy leg of a longer journey. Given the minimal travel time, you won't need to worry about extensive planning, making it a very accessible option.
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 | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Homer Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Hale Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Cambridge 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 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
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Chelmsford Street
16
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
314 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cambridge Street
17
Turn left onto Hale Street
486 ft
·
13 sec
·
Hale Street
18
Arrive at destination
Hale Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 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
$4.27 one way
$8.55 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.66 | $9.32 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.07 | $10.14 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.90 | $11.79 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
| Efficient EV | 6.7 | 0 | $2.34 | $1.07 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.74 | $1.71 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (67% 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
Late night in Lowell 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
36m 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 route offers a mixed drive experience, with 37% of it being highway. You'll spend a good portion of the time on the Yankee Division Highway and US 3, which provide a more direct and faster pace. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 10 miles on the Yankee Division Highway, allowing for a consistent flow. As you progress, you'll notice the transition from more suburban environments around Newton to the urban setting of Lowell, with Commonwealth Avenue serving as a key connector.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 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 13 decision points packed into just 26.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
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.
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 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.
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 36m. Total distance: 26.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). 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 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 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 — 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 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Lowell, MA
More trips to Lowell, MA
Explore more options from Newton, MA or browse trips ending in Lowell, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.