Best Time to Drive from Quincy to Lowell

Right now (2:50 am EDT): about 45 minutes via I-93 North and I-95 South and US-3 North.

Only 60% 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 Quincy 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	45	69	85	90	82	78	75	62	60	65	73	71	70	58	52	48	49
Tue	44	69	93	101	89	79	77	63	62	71	82	83	83	67	54	50	51
Wed	44	70	91	97	89	81	76	66	64	75	81	83	83	66	55	51	51
Thu	44	69	88	96	86	81	76	66	65	76	84	86	88	68	55	52	52
Fri	43	61	71	80	77	78	83	79	77	81	81	79	72	60	55	51	48
Sat	43	42	43	44	47	63	76	81	81	79	80	74	73	67	61	51	47
Sun	43	42	42	42	43	51	64	69	76	74	71	67	63	60	58	56	52

About this drive

On weekdays the 36-mile drive from Quincy to Lowell (via I-93 North and I-95 South and US-3 North) usually takes as little as 43 minutes and up to 101 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 70 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 1 pm on Saturdays (81 minutes).

About 26 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 10 miles surface streets (19 to 47 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Quincy (Faxon 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 Quincy to Lowell?

On weekdays, leave before 5:30 am. The drive usually takes about 43 minutes then, versus up to 101 minutes at the worst times.

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

The 36-mile drive usually takes 43 to 101 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 70 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Quincy to Lowell?

Leaving around 8 am on Tuesdays is usually slowest, about 101 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-93 North in Boston (10 miles) · I-95 South in Boston (9 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

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

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	69	85	90	82	78	75	62	60	65	73	71	70	58	52	48	49
Tue	44	69	93	101	89	79	77	63	62	71	82	83	83	67	54	50	51
Wed	44	70	91	97	89	81	76	66	64	75	81	83	83	66	55	51	51
Thu	44	69	88	96	86	81	76	66	65	76	84	86	88	68	55	52	52
Fri	43	61	71	80	77	78	83	79	77	81	81	79	72	60	55	51	48
Sat	43	42	43	44	47	63	76	81	81	79	80	74	73	67	61	51	47
Sun	43	42	42	42	43	51	64	69	76	74	71	67	63	60	58	56	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	69	85	90	82	78	75	62	60	65	73	71	70	58	52	48	49
Tue	44	69	93	101	89	79	77	63	62	71	82	83	83	67	54	50	51
Wed	44	70	91	97	89	81	76	66	64	75	81	83	83	66	55	51	51
Thu	44	69	88	96	86	81	76	66	65	76	84	86	88	68	55	52	52
Fri	43	61	71	80	77	78	83	79	77	81	81	79	72	60	55	51	48
Sat	43	42	43	44	47	63	76	81	81	79	80	74	73	67	61	51	47
Sun	43	42	42	42	43	51	64	69	76	74	71	67	63	60	58	56	52

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	45	69	85	90	82	78	75	62	60	65	73	71	70	58	52	48	49
Tue	44	69	93	101	89	79	77	63	62	71	82	83	83	67	54	50	51
Wed	44	70	91	97	89	81	76	66	64	75	81	83	83	66	55	51	51
Thu	44	69	88	96	86	81	76	66	65	76	84	86	88	68	55	52	52
Fri	43	61	71	80	77	78	83	79	77	81	81	79	72	60	55	51	48
Sat	43	42	43	44	47	63	76	81	81	79	80	74	73	67	61	51	47
Sun	43	42	42	42	43	51	64	69	76	74	71	67	63	60	58	56	52