Best Time to Drive from Lowell to Braintree

Right now (8:41 am EDT): about 78 minutes via I-93 South and US-3 South, usually 68 at this time.

Only 68% 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 Lowell to Braintree 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	41	49	70	73	63	54	49	52	54	72	86	82	72	55	45	43	46
Tue	41	51	84	89	81	61	53	49	54	78	97	94	92	70	48	45	46
Wed	41	50	77	87	80	62	53	51	55	80	101	100	96	72	50	46	47
Thu	41	50	75	83	76	59	54	51	58	85	102	101	97	76	53	48	47
Fri	41	46	64	64	57	54	56	57	67	89	92	89	77	59	50	46	45
Sat	40	40	41	42	43	53	57	60	63	63	63	60	55	53	49	46	44
Sun	40	39	40	41	42	46	51	54	57	56	55	53	51	48	48	45	46

About this drive

On weekdays the 40-mile drive from Lowell to Braintree (via I-93 South and US-3 South) usually takes as little as 41 minutes and up to 102 minutes, when leaving around 3 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 59 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3:30 pm on Saturdays (65 minutes).

About 35 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 5 miles surface streets (8 to 17 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lowell (Hale Street) to central Braintree (Washington 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 Lowell to Braintree?

On weekdays, leave before 6 am. The drive usually takes about 41 minutes then, versus up to 102 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 40-mile drive usually takes 41 to 102 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 59 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lowell to Braintree?

Leaving around 3 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 102 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-93 South in Boston (19 miles) · US-3 South in Boston (16 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Braintree to Lowell (return trip) · Lowell to Boston · Lowell to Cambridge · Lowell to Quincy · Lowell to Newton · Lowell to Waltham · Lowell to Framingham · Lowell to Worcester · Lowell to Burlington MA · Lowell to Woburn · Lowell to Dedham · Lowell to Peabody

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	49	70	73	63	54	49	52	54	72	86	82	72	55	45	43	46
Tue	41	51	84	89	81	61	53	49	54	78	97	94	92	70	48	45	46
Wed	41	50	77	87	80	62	53	51	55	80	101	100	96	72	50	46	47
Thu	41	50	75	83	76	59	54	51	58	85	102	101	97	76	53	48	47
Fri	41	46	64	64	57	54	56	57	67	89	92	89	77	59	50	46	45
Sat	40	40	41	42	43	53	57	60	63	63	63	60	55	53	49	46	44
Sun	40	39	40	41	42	46	51	54	57	56	55	53	51	48	48	45	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	49	70	73	63	54	49	52	54	72	86	82	72	55	45	43	46
Tue	41	51	84	89	81	61	53	49	54	78	97	94	92	70	48	45	46
Wed	41	50	77	87	80	62	53	51	55	80	101	100	96	72	50	46	47
Thu	41	50	75	83	76	59	54	51	58	85	102	101	97	76	53	48	47
Fri	41	46	64	64	57	54	56	57	67	89	92	89	77	59	50	46	45
Sat	40	40	41	42	43	53	57	60	63	63	63	60	55	53	49	46	44
Sun	40	39	40	41	42	46	51	54	57	56	55	53	51	48	48	45	46

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	41	49	70	73	63	54	49	52	54	72	86	82	72	55	45	43	46
Tue	41	51	84	89	81	61	53	49	54	78	97	94	92	70	48	45	46
Wed	41	50	77	87	80	62	53	51	55	80	101	100	96	72	50	46	47
Thu	41	50	75	83	76	59	54	51	58	85	102	101	97	76	53	48	47
Fri	41	46	64	64	57	54	56	57	67	89	92	89	77	59	50	46	45
Sat	40	40	41	42	43	53	57	60	63	63	63	60	55	53	49	46	44
Sun	40	39	40	41	42	46	51	54	57	56	55	53	51	48	48	45	46