Best Time to Drive from Cambridge to Lowell

Right now (4:49 pm EDT): about 48 minutes via I-95 South and US-3 North, usually 48 at this time.

Only 64% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Cambridge 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	30	30	43	50	42	33	33	33	34	34	39	47	48	40	31	31	34
Tue	30	31	48	61	55	38	34	34	33	36	46	55	57	47	33	31	35
Wed	30	31	46	59	53	39	35	34	34	38	46	54	58	48	34	31	34
Thu	30	31	45	55	48	36	34	34	35	37	49	55	59	51	34	31	34
Fri	30	30	36	38	34	33	36	36	37	45	51	51	47	39	33	31	33
Sat	30	29	29	30	30	32	35	36	36	35	37	35	33	33	32	32	31
Sun	30	30	29	29	29	29	32	33	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	32

About this drive

On weekdays the 25-mile drive from Cambridge to Lowell (via I-95 South and US-3 North) usually takes as little as 29 minutes and up to 62 minutes, when leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 35 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12:30 pm on Saturdays (37 minutes).

About 18 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 7 miles surface streets (14 to 28 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Cambridge (Ellery Street) 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 Cambridge to Lowell?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am. The drive usually takes about 29 minutes then, versus up to 62 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 25-mile drive usually takes 29 to 62 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 35 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Cambridge to Lowell?

Leaving around 8:30 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 62 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-95 South in Boston (11 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Lowell to Cambridge (return trip) · Cambridge to Quincy · Cambridge to Newton · Cambridge to Framingham · Cambridge to Worcester · Cambridge to Braintree · Cambridge to Peabody · Cambridge to Andover · Cambridge to Brockton · Cambridge to Plymouth MA · Cambridge to Natick · Cambridge to BOS

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	43	50	42	33	33	33	34	34	39	47	48	40	31	31	34
Tue	30	31	48	61	55	38	34	34	33	36	46	55	57	47	33	31	35
Wed	30	31	46	59	53	39	35	34	34	38	46	54	58	48	34	31	34
Thu	30	31	45	55	48	36	34	34	35	37	49	55	59	51	34	31	34
Fri	30	30	36	38	34	33	36	36	37	45	51	51	47	39	33	31	33
Sat	30	29	29	30	30	32	35	36	36	35	37	35	33	33	32	32	31
Sun	30	30	29	29	29	29	32	33	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	43	50	42	33	33	33	34	34	39	47	48	40	31	31	34
Tue	30	31	48	61	55	38	34	34	33	36	46	55	57	47	33	31	35
Wed	30	31	46	59	53	39	35	34	34	38	46	54	58	48	34	31	34
Thu	30	31	45	55	48	36	34	34	35	37	49	55	59	51	34	31	34
Fri	30	30	36	38	34	33	36	36	37	45	51	51	47	39	33	31	33
Sat	30	29	29	30	30	32	35	36	36	35	37	35	33	33	32	32	31
Sun	30	30	29	29	29	29	32	33	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	32

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	30	30	43	50	42	33	33	33	34	34	39	47	48	40	31	31	34
Tue	30	31	48	61	55	38	34	34	33	36	46	55	57	47	33	31	35
Wed	30	31	46	59	53	39	35	34	34	38	46	54	58	48	34	31	34
Thu	30	31	45	55	48	36	34	34	35	37	49	55	59	51	34	31	34
Fri	30	30	36	38	34	33	36	36	37	45	51	51	47	39	33	31	33
Sat	30	29	29	30	30	32	35	36	36	35	37	35	33	33	32	32	31
Sun	30	30	29	29	29	29	32	33	35	33	33	32	32	32	32	31	32