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Trip from Westwood, 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

48m

Distance

34.9 mi

56 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 44m ★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 56m
8 PM
0h 46m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Westwood, MA, MA

Westwood, MA

Ron Lach

Downtown Lowell, MA, MA

Lowell, MA

Phil Evenden

Trip Overview

This 34.9-mile drive from Westwood, MA to Lowell, MA is a manageable 48-minute journey, making it an ideal day trip. Primarily utilizing the Yankee Division Highway and US 3, with a portion on High Street, you'll experience a drive with frequent turns. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $6, this route is budget-friendly for a single day's adventure. As both your origin and destination are in the Northeast region, you'll stay within familiar territory. This route is best suited for those who don't mind a more interactive driving experience rather than a straight-line dash.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Yankee Division Highway 18.7 mi 25m
US 3 9.9 mi 11m
High Street 2.4 mi 3m
Chelmsford Street 1.4 mi 2m
Pond Street 0.3 mi <1m
Hale Street <0.1 mi <1m
Cambridge Street <0.1 mi <1m
Crouse Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Yankee Division Highway — 18.7 mi, about 25m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Westwood, MA and Lowell, MA.

1

Start on Crouse Avenue

240 ft · 12 sec · Crouse Avenue
2

Turn right onto Pond Street

0.3 mi · 43 sec · Pond Street
3

Turn straight onto MA 109

2.4 mi · 3 min · High Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
4

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec
Toward I 95 North: Peabody, Portsmouth New Hampshire Use the right lane.
5

Merge onto I 95; MA 128

19 mi · 25 min · Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

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.
7

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.
8

Continue on this road

0.4 mi · 35 sec · this road
Exit 50A Toward US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
9

Continue on US 3

9.4 mi · 10 min · US 3
10

Keep slight left at fork onto US 3

0.5 mi · 32 sec · US 3
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

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.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 21 sec
Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
13

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 81C Toward MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
14

Turn right onto MA 110

1.4 mi · 2 min · Chelmsford Street
15

Turn right onto Cambridge Street

314 ft · 14 sec · Cambridge Street
16

Turn left onto Hale Street

486 ft · 13 sec · Hale Street
17

Arrive at destination

Hale Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Waltham, MA, MA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Waltham, MA

17 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

City of Lowell, MA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 34.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Waltham, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Westwood, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.7 and 33.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
2.7 mi into trip | ~4m in

Take the ramp toward I 95 North: Peabody, Portsmouth New Hampshire

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward I 95 North: Peabody, Portsmouth New Hamp...
8
21.7 mi into trip | ~30m 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
21.9 mi into trip | ~31m 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
32.5 mi into trip | ~43m 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
33.2 mi into trip | ~45m 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

$5.59 one way

$11.17 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $6.09 $12.18
premium $4.82 $6.63 $13.25
diesel $5.61 $7.71 $15.41

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.5 0 $3.66 $1.68
Efficient EV 8.7 0 $3.05 $1.40
EV Truck/SUV 14 0 $4.89 $2.23

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Westwood, MA

Late night in Westwood on Sunday

Local time

2:01 AM

EDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

23 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

48m 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" with 28% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.7 miles on the Yankee Division Highway. This route tends to feel more like navigating through communities rather than a pure highway cruise. The road will likely shift in character as you transition between major thoroughfares and local streets, requiring your attention to navigation and changing speed limits.

Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.7 mi on Yankee Division Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.7 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 14 decision points packed into just 34.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.9 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.

Between Westwood, MA and Lowell, MA, road signs point toward Portsmouth New Hampshire, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire, Marlboro and Chelmsford.

Portsmouth New Hampshire

2.7 mi in | ~4m

Middlesex Turnpike

21.7 mi in | ~30m

Burlington

21.7 mi in | ~30m

Nashua New Hampshire

21.7 mi in | ~30m

Marlboro

32.5 mi in | ~43m

Chelmsford

32.9 mi in | ~44m

About the Cities

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 48m. Total distance: 34.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

48m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 18.7 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 2.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.9 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 Adams 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.

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