Origin
Northbridge, MA
Morning in Northbridge on Tuesday
Local time
8:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Northbridge, 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
1h 2m
Distance
45.4 mi
73 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Northbridge, MA
Italo Melo
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
This 45.4-mile drive from Northbridge to Lowell, Massachusetts, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 1 hour and 2 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion, so no overnight stays are necessary. The route is primarily highway-focused, with a projected fuel cost of around $7, making it an economical option. You'll be staying within the Northeast region throughout your journey, and the overall feel of the drive is practical and efficient, designed for getting you from point A to point B without much fuss. Consider this a reliable option when you need to cover moderate distance without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 495 | 33.9 mi | 39m |
| Chelmsford Street | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| West Main Street | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Pleasant Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| School Street | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Hopkinton Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Brookway Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Quaker Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 495
— 33.9 mi, about 39m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Northbridge, MA and Lowell, MA.
1
Start on this road
96 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Beanes Lane
459 ft
·
25 sec
·
Beanes Lane
3
Turn left onto Church Avenue
163 ft
·
7 sec
·
Church Avenue
4
Turn right onto Cross Place
435 ft
·
20 sec
·
Cross Place
5
Turn right onto School Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
School Street
6
Turn left onto Brookway Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Brookway Drive
7
Turn right onto Allyn Road
476 ft
·
23 sec
·
Allyn Road
8
Turn left onto Quaker Street
0.3 mi
·
27 sec
·
Quaker Street
9
Continue on Pleasant Street
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Pleasant Street
10
Turn slight left onto School Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
School Street
11
Turn slight right onto Hopkinton Road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Hopkinton Road
12
Continue on West Main Street
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
West Main Street
13
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 495 North: Lowell
14
Merge onto I 495
34 mi
·
39 min
·
I 495
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 88
Toward MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
16
Turn right onto MA 110
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Chelmsford Street
17
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
314 ft
·
14 sec
·
Cambridge Street
18
Turn left onto Hale Street
486 ft
·
13 sec
·
Hale Street
19
Arrive at destination
Hale Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.7 miles from Northbridge, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 42.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Beanes Lane
Turn right onto Beanes Lane
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Church Avenue
Turn left onto Church Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
Quaker Street
Turn left onto Quaker Street
Navigation decision point
5
8.5 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 495
Merge onto I 495
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
42.4 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Take the exit toward MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 88
Toward MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.27 one way
$14.53 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $7.92 | $15.85 |
| premium | $4.82 | $8.62 | $17.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.02 | $20.05 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.77 | $2.18 |
| Efficient EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.97 | $1.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.36 | $2.91 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
8:59 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
2 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
1h 2m 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 highway-focused experience for about 75% of this drive, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your time on interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 33.9 miles, primarily on I-495. This suggests periods of consistent, faster travel. While the main roads include local streets like Chelmsford Street and West Main Street, the dominant character is that of an interstate journey. The route doesn't offer significant scenic detours, leaning more towards efficient transit rather than a leisurely cruise through the countryside.
75% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 33.9 mi on I 495.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 495 and Chelmsford Street. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Beanes Lane.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 2m drive. You will face about 12 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Beanes Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Church Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (Quaker Street): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Northbridge, MA
Full guide →Milford is a city in Blackstone Valley.
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 1h 2m. Total distance: 45.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 2m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 33.9 miles on I 495. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 (Beanes Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Church Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles (Quaker Street): Navigation decision point.
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 Northbridge, MA or browse trips ending in Lowell, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.