Origin
Waltham, MA
Late night in Waltham on Sunday
Local time
3:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Waltham, MA to Dracut, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
24.5 mi
40 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 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
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.
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Dracut, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling the 24.5 miles from Waltham to Dracut is a straightforward, quick journey that typically takes about 37 minutes. Because this is a local trip within the Northeast, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics, making it an ideal day trip. You can expect to spend approximately $4 on fuel for the entire excursion. Since this route stays entirely off the highway, you should anticipate a consistent pace rather than high-speed interstate travel. It is a practical, no-fuss drive that connects two distinct Massachusetts communities without requiring significant planning or extended travel time.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 9.4 mi | 10m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 6 mi | 8m |
| Lowell Connector | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Bridge Street | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Totten Pond Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Lexington Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Gorham Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Wyman Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 9.4 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Waltham, MA and Dracut, 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 right at fork onto Lowell Connector
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 80-81A
Toward I 495 North: Lowell, Chelmsford, Lawrence
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on Lowell Connector
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 80
Toward Lowell Connector
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork onto Lowell Connector
511 ft
·
11 sec
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 5C
Toward Lowell Center, Gorham Street
Use the left / right lanes.
16
Turn left onto Gorham Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Gorham Street
17
Continue on Veterans Way
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Veterans Way
18
Continue on Central Street
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Central Street
19
Turn right onto Prescott Street
487 ft
·
11 sec
·
Prescott Street
20
Continue on Bridge Street
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Bridge Street
21
Turn right onto MA 113
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Arlington Street
22
Turn left
221 ft
·
16 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 175 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.9 — 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
9
19 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
Lowell Connector
Keep slight right at fork onto Lowell Connector toward I 495 North: Lowell, Chelmsford, Lawrence
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 80-81A
Toward I 495 North: Lowell, Chelmsford, Lawrenc...
9
21.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
|
Lowell Connector
Keep slight left at fork onto Lowell Connector toward Lowell Center, Gorham Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left / right lanes.
Exit 5C
Toward Lowell Center, Gorham Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.92 one way
$7.84 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.28 | $8.55 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.65 | $9.30 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.41 | $10.82 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.6 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 | 7.4 | 0 | $2.57 | $1.18 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.14 | $0.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.43 | $1.57 |
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
Dracut, MA
Late night in Dracut on Sunday
Local time
3:30 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°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
22 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate grind, as this route features zero highway miles. You will navigate through local corridors like Church Street, Lexington Street, and Totten Pond Road, which demand your full attention behind the wheel. Because the entire 24.5-mile distance consists of local streets, the character of the road remains consistent from start to finish. There are no long, uninterrupted stretches here, so you should be prepared for frequent maneuvering through the local road network. This is a hands-on driving experience that keeps you engaged with the local infrastructure throughout the duration of your trip.
38% 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: 9.4 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 17 decision points packed into just 24.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
213 ft
63 ft
Total Climb
357 ft
Total Descent
263 ft
Highest Point
213 ft
~14 mi in
Elevation Range
150 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 Waltham, MA and Dracut, MA, road signs point toward Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Chelmsford, Lawrence and Lowell Center.
Middlesex Turnpike
8.7 mi in
|
~13m
Burlington
8.7 mi in
|
~13m
Nashua New Hampshire
8.7 mi in
|
~13m
Chelmsford
19 mi in
|
~26m
|
via Lowell Connector
Lawrence
19 mi in
|
~26m
|
via Lowell Connector
Lowell Center
21.9 mi in
|
~30m
|
via Lowell Connector
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 37m. Total distance: 24.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). 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 9.4 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 Dracut, 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 Dracut, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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