Best Time to Drive from Boston to Lowell

Right now (3:50 am EST): about 29 minutes via I-93 North and I-495 South, usually 29 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Boston to Lowell by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	37	34	31	31	31	31	35	44	48	45	36	30	29	31
Tue	29	30	34	42	39	33	31	31	31	36	46	51	53	40	32	29	32
Wed	29	30	34	41	39	33	31	32	32	37	49	53	54	39	32	30	33
Thu	29	30	33	41	38	32	31	31	33	38	47	53	54	40	32	30	34
Fri	29	29	30	33	32	31	32	34	38	46	51	50	46	37	31	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	29	31	33	34	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	29	29	31	33	31	30	30	30	29	30	30	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 32-mile drive from Boston to Lowell (via I-93 North and I-495 South) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 54 minutes, when leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 33 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (34 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 1.8 miles surface streets (3 to 6 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Boston (Franklin Avenue) to central Lowell (Hale Street) along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Boston to Lowell?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 54 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Boston to Lowell?

The 32-mile drive usually takes 29 to 54 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 33 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Boston to Lowell?

Leaving around 4:30 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 54 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-93 North in Boston (21 miles) · I-495 South in Boston (9 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lowell to Boston (return trip) · Boston to Quincy · Boston to Framingham · Boston to Worcester · Boston to Burlington MA · Boston to Woburn · Boston to Braintree · Boston to Andover · Boston to Brockton · Boston to Plymouth MA · Boston to Natick · Boston to Providence

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	37	34	31	31	31	31	35	44	48	45	36	30	29	31
Tue	29	30	34	42	39	33	31	31	31	36	46	51	53	40	32	29	32
Wed	29	30	34	41	39	33	31	32	32	37	49	53	54	39	32	30	33
Thu	29	30	33	41	38	32	31	31	33	38	47	53	54	40	32	30	34
Fri	29	29	30	33	32	31	32	34	38	46	51	50	46	37	31	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	29	31	33	34	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	29	29	31	33	31	30	30	30	29	30	30	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	37	34	31	31	31	31	35	44	48	45	36	30	29	31
Tue	29	30	34	42	39	33	31	31	31	36	46	51	53	40	32	29	32
Wed	29	30	34	41	39	33	31	32	32	37	49	53	54	39	32	30	33
Thu	29	30	33	41	38	32	31	31	33	38	47	53	54	40	32	30	34
Fri	29	29	30	33	32	31	32	34	38	46	51	50	46	37	31	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	29	31	33	34	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	29	29	31	33	31	30	30	30	29	30	30	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	29	30	32	37	34	31	31	31	31	35	44	48	45	36	30	29	31
Tue	29	30	34	42	39	33	31	31	31	36	46	51	53	40	32	29	32
Wed	29	30	34	41	39	33	31	32	32	37	49	53	54	39	32	30	33
Thu	29	30	33	41	38	32	31	31	33	38	47	53	54	40	32	30	34
Fri	29	29	30	33	32	31	32	34	38	46	51	50	46	37	31	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	29	31	33	34	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	29	29	31	33	31	30	30	30	29	30	30	32