Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
31.9 mi
51 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Methuen, MA
Italo Melo
Waltham to Methuen is 31.9 miles and takes about 43 minutes via I 93, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This quick trip stays entirely within Massachusetts, making it a straightforward hop between two Northeast communities. Given its short distance and manageable duration, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion without needing an overnight stay. You'll spend less than an hour in the car, so it's perfect for when you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 93 | 14.8 mi | 17m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 12 mi | 16m |
| Lowell Street | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Totten Pond Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Lexington Street | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Wyman Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Church Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Main Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 387 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~5,846 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~264 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
22.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Waltham, MA and Methuen, MA.
Start on US 20
Turn left onto Church Street
Turn left
Turn right onto Lexington Street
Keep slight left at fork onto Totten Pond Road
Turn right onto Wyman Street
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
Take the exit
Merge onto I 93
Take the exit
Turn slight right onto MA 110; MA 113
Turn left onto MA 113
Turn slight right onto Osgood Street
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 29.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Church Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Lexington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 93 North: Concord New Hampshire
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MA 110 East, MA 113 East: Lawrence
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$5.32 one way
$10.64 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $5.86 | $11.72 |
| premium | $5.06 | $6.35 | $12.70 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.03 | $14.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| Efficient EV | 8 | 0 | $2.79 | $1.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.8 | 0 | $4.47 | $2.04 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Waltham on Wednesday
Local time
2:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Patchy Fog
Destination
Late night in Methuen on Wednesday
Local time
2:38 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°F
Rain Showers
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This drive is a mixed highway and surface road experience, with 46% of the total 31.9 miles on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 14.8 miles on I 93, indicating a significant portion of the trip will be at higher speeds. After leaving the interstate, expect to transition to surface roads like Lowell Street for the remainder of your drive.
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.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 31.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Church Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (Lexington Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
391 ft
Total Descent
331 ft
Highest Point
203 ft
~2.3 mi in
Elevation Range
140 ft
Founded 1634
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.
Top landmarks
Founded 1642
Lawrence is a city in Massachusetts with a population of about 89,000 (2020). Methuen is a city in Massachusetts with a population of 53,000 (2020).
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 31.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (46%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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