Origin
Waltham, MA
Morning in Waltham on Sunday
Local time
8:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waltham, 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
33m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 30m
★
6 AM
0h 33m
8 AM
0h 39m
10 AM
0h 35m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 35m
5 PM
0h 38m
8 PM
0h 31m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
City of Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
Waltham to Lowell is 22.5 miles and takes about 33 minutes via US 3, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Massachusetts, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a mixed drive that is mostly efficient, making it a straightforward journey for a single day. It's a short hop, ideal for a quick trip without needing an overnight stay. Consider this route for its simplicity and speed, perfect for getting from point A to point B with minimal fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 9.9 mi | 11m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 6 mi | 8m |
| Chelmsford Street | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Totten Pond Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Lexington Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Wyman Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Westford Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Grand Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 9.9 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waltham, MA and City of Lowell, MA.
1
Start on US 20
184 ft
·
8 sec
·
Main Street
2
Turn left onto Church Street
431 ft
·
13 sec
·
Church Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn left
394 ft
·
16 sec
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto Lexington Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Lexington Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork onto Totten Pond Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Totten Pond Road
6
Turn right onto Wyman Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
Wyman Street
7
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
8
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
6.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
9
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.
10
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.
11
Continue on this road
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
this road
Exit 50A
Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
12
Continue on US 3
9.4 mi
·
10 min
·
US 3
13
Keep slight left at fork onto US 3
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
·
US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
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.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
16
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
Exit 81C
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
17
Turn right onto MA 110
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Chelmsford Street
18
Turn sharp left onto MA 3A
458 ft
·
10 sec
·
Westford Street
19
Turn right onto Grand Street
448 ft
·
23 sec
·
Grand Street
20
At end of road, turn left onto Middlesex Street
383 ft
·
18 sec
·
Middlesex Street
21
Turn sharp right onto Arch Street
15 ft
·
5 sec
·
Arch Street
22
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
38 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 205 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 20.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Church Street
Turn left onto Church Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
8.7 mi into trip
|
~13m 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
8.9 mi into trip
|
~14m 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
19.5 mi into trip
|
~27m 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
20.2 mi into trip
|
~28m 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
$3.60 one way
$7.20 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $3.93 | $7.85 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.27 | $8.54 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
8:11 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
33m 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 offers a mixed bag, with 44% of the journey on highways. You'll experience stretches of faster-paced travel, including a continuous 9.9-mile segment on US 3. The Yankee Division Highway and Chelmsford Street will also feature, suggesting a transition between more open roads and potentially more local traffic as you approach Lowell. The overall feel is likely a blend of efficient highway cruising and navigating through more populated areas as you get closer to your destination.
44% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9.9 mi on US 3.
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 early in the drive near Church Street.
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 20 decision points packed into just 22.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 33m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.9 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Waltham, MA and City of Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Marlboro and Chelmsford.
Middlesex Turnpike
8.7 mi in
|
~13m
Burlington
8.7 mi in
|
~13m
Nashua New Hampshire
8.7 mi in
|
~13m
Marlboro
19.5 mi in
|
~27m
Chelmsford
19.9 mi in
|
~27m
About the Cities
Starting in Waltham, MA
Full guide →Waltham is a city in the American state of Massachusetts. It is 10 miles (16 km) west of central Boston on the Charles River, and 3 miles from the city limits to the east. Waltham is part of the Greater Boston conurbation; even so, it has a unique character compared to Boston's other suburbs, and is one of the most significant regional centers for employment, culture, education and food in the entire metro area. It is sometimes called "Watch City" because it was home to Waltham Watch Company. Many high-tech companies have made Waltham their home. It is also home to Bentley College and Brandeis University.
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 33m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). 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 9.9 miles on US 3. 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: near the start (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 8.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.9 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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