Best Time to Drive from Lowell to Dorchester

Right now (8:51 pm EDT): about 52 minutes via I-93 South and US-3 South, usually 40 at this time.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Lowell to Dorchester 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	36	46	62	68	56	45	41	45	44	61	70	62	61	48	38	37	41
Tue	36	49	77	88	74	55	44	41	43	65	78	78	79	61	41	38	41
Wed	35	47	71	85	74	55	45	42	43	67	82	81	79	65	42	39	41
Thu	36	47	69	80	69	53	46	42	48	75	85	85	83	67	45	40	41
Fri	35	41	52	51	46	44	47	49	60	73	73	70	60	51	44	39	39
Sat	35	34	35	36	37	44	48	50	50	48	51	49	47	47	42	39	38
Sun	35	34	34	35	36	39	42	47	48	47	46	44	42	43	40	38	40

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from Lowell to Dorchester (via I-93 South and US-3 South) usually takes as little as 35 minutes and up to 88 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 5:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 50 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 3 pm on Saturdays (51 minutes).

About 32 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 3 miles surface streets (5 to 11 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Lowell to central Dorchester 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 Dorchester?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 35 minutes then, versus up to 88 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 36-mile drive usually takes 35 to 88 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 50 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lowell to Dorchester?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 88 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-93 South in Boston (17 miles) · US-3 South in Boston (12 miles) · I-95 North in Boston (3 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Dorchester 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 Braintree · Lowell to Dedham

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	46	62	68	56	45	41	45	44	61	70	62	61	48	38	37	41
Tue	36	49	77	88	74	55	44	41	43	65	78	78	79	61	41	38	41
Wed	35	47	71	85	74	55	45	42	43	67	82	81	79	65	42	39	41
Thu	36	47	69	80	69	53	46	42	48	75	85	85	83	67	45	40	41
Fri	35	41	52	51	46	44	47	49	60	73	73	70	60	51	44	39	39
Sat	35	34	35	36	37	44	48	50	50	48	51	49	47	47	42	39	38
Sun	35	34	34	35	36	39	42	47	48	47	46	44	42	43	40	38	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	46	62	68	56	45	41	45	44	61	70	62	61	48	38	37	41
Tue	36	49	77	88	74	55	44	41	43	65	78	78	79	61	41	38	41
Wed	35	47	71	85	74	55	45	42	43	67	82	81	79	65	42	39	41
Thu	36	47	69	80	69	53	46	42	48	75	85	85	83	67	45	40	41
Fri	35	41	52	51	46	44	47	49	60	73	73	70	60	51	44	39	39
Sat	35	34	35	36	37	44	48	50	50	48	51	49	47	47	42	39	38
Sun	35	34	34	35	36	39	42	47	48	47	46	44	42	43	40	38	40

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	36	46	62	68	56	45	41	45	44	61	70	62	61	48	38	37	41
Tue	36	49	77	88	74	55	44	41	43	65	78	78	79	61	41	38	41
Wed	35	47	71	85	74	55	45	42	43	67	82	81	79	65	42	39	41
Thu	36	47	69	80	69	53	46	42	48	75	85	85	83	67	45	40	41
Fri	35	41	52	51	46	44	47	49	60	73	73	70	60	51	44	39	39
Sat	35	34	35	36	37	44	48	50	50	48	51	49	47	47	42	39	38
Sun	35	34	34	35	36	39	42	47	48	47	46	44	42	43	40	38	40