Best Time to Drive from Lowell to Newton

Right now (11:04 pm EDT): about 29 minutes via I-95 South and US-3 South.

Only 78% 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 Newton 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	28	30	40	47	40	32	31	31	32	34	38	40	42	35	29	29	33
Tue	28	31	47	59	52	38	32	32	32	37	42	46	48	41	31	30	33
Wed	28	31	45	56	50	38	33	32	32	38	43	46	48	41	31	30	32
Thu	29	31	43	52	47	36	33	32	33	39	45	48	51	45	32	30	32
Fri	28	29	35	36	33	32	33	34	37	42	46	45	41	35	30	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	28	30	33	34	35	35	34	34	32	31	29	29	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	28	30	32	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	31

About this drive

On weekdays the 27-mile drive from Lowell to Newton (via I-95 South and US-3 South) usually takes as little as 28 minutes and up to 59 minutes, when leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays. The fastest times to leave are before 6:30 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 34 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (35 minutes).

About 21 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 6 miles surface streets (10 to 21 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 Newton (Homer 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 Newton?

On weekdays, leave before 6:30 am. The drive usually takes about 28 minutes then, versus up to 59 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 27-mile drive usually takes 28 to 59 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 34 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Lowell to Newton?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 59 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-95 South in Boston (11 miles) · US-3 South in Boston (10 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Newton to Lowell (return trip) · Lowell to Boston · Lowell to Cambridge · Lowell to Quincy · Lowell to Waltham · Lowell to Framingham · Lowell to Worcester · Lowell to Burlington MA · Lowell to Woburn · Lowell to Braintree · 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	28	30	40	47	40	32	31	31	32	34	38	40	42	35	29	29	33
Tue	28	31	47	59	52	38	32	32	32	37	42	46	48	41	31	30	33
Wed	28	31	45	56	50	38	33	32	32	38	43	46	48	41	31	30	32
Thu	29	31	43	52	47	36	33	32	33	39	45	48	51	45	32	30	32
Fri	28	29	35	36	33	32	33	34	37	42	46	45	41	35	30	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	28	30	33	34	35	35	34	34	32	31	29	29	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	28	30	32	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	30	40	47	40	32	31	31	32	34	38	40	42	35	29	29	33
Tue	28	31	47	59	52	38	32	32	32	37	42	46	48	41	31	30	33
Wed	28	31	45	56	50	38	33	32	32	38	43	46	48	41	31	30	32
Thu	29	31	43	52	47	36	33	32	33	39	45	48	51	45	32	30	32
Fri	28	29	35	36	33	32	33	34	37	42	46	45	41	35	30	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	28	30	33	34	35	35	34	34	32	31	29	29	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	28	30	32	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	31

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	28	30	40	47	40	32	31	31	32	34	38	40	42	35	29	29	33
Tue	28	31	47	59	52	38	32	32	32	37	42	46	48	41	31	30	33
Wed	28	31	45	56	50	38	33	32	32	38	43	46	48	41	31	30	32
Thu	29	31	43	52	47	36	33	32	33	39	45	48	51	45	32	30	32
Fri	28	29	35	36	33	32	33	34	37	42	46	45	41	35	30	30	30
Sat	29	28	28	28	28	30	33	34	35	35	34	34	32	31	29	29	29
Sun	29	28	28	28	28	28	30	32	34	32	32	32	31	30	29	30	31