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Trip from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

2h 4m

Distance

131.5 mi

212 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$21

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 27 min
4 AM
1h 55m ★
6 AM
2h 4m
8 AM
2h 22m
10 AM
2h 10m
12 PM
2h 8m
3 PM
2h 11m
5 PM
2h 21m
8 PM
1h 59m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States

Lee, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Lowell, MA, MA

Lowell, MA

Phil Evenden

Trip Overview

The drive from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA covers 131.5 miles and takes about 2h 4m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Park Street, Housatonic Street, Massachusetts Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.05 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Midpoint

65.8 miles from Lee, MA

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 2m into the drive .

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 4m. Total distance: 131.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

2h 4m drive, comfortable solo distance.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 2h 4m drive with frequent turns across 131.5 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 16 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Park Street is one of the defining roads on this drive.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.

Driving Effort 1/10

Very easy - short and simple to drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

The drive from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA is easy. At 2h 4m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

Where does it get tricky?

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Park Street
Housatonic Street
Massachusetts Turnpike
I 495
I 495 North
MA 110
Chelmsford Street
Cambridge Street

Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.

Longest stretch: Park Street — detailed segment metrics are refreshing.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Lee, MA and Lowell, MA.

1

Start on Park Street

72 ft · 2 sec · Park Street
2

Continue on Park Street

82 ft · 7 sec · Park Street
3

Continue on Park Street

0.1 mi · 27 sec · Park Street
4

Continue on Housatonic Street

0.5 mi · 1 min · Housatonic Street
5

Take the exit slight right

0.3 mi · 43 sec
6

Keep slight right

0.4 mi · 53 sec
7

Merge slight left onto Massachusetts Turnpike

95 mi · 1 hr 49 min · Massachusetts Turnpike
8

Take the exit slight right toward I 495: Portsmouth New Hampshire, Taunton

0.2 mi · 38 sec · I 495: Portsmouth New Hampshire, Taunton
9

Keep slight left to continue on I 495 North: Lowell, Portsmouth New Hampshire

0.2 mi · 34 sec · I 495 North: Lowell, Portsmouth New Hampshire
10

Keep slight left to continue on I 495 North: Lowell, Portsmouth NH

0.6 mi · 1 min · I 495 North: Lowell, Portsmouth NH
11

Merge slight left

30 mi · 34 min
12

Take the exit slight right toward MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell

0.2 mi · 34 sec · MA 110: Chelmsford, Lowell
13

Turn right onto Chelmsford Street

2.6 mi · 4 min · Chelmsford Street
14

Turn right onto Cambridge Street

315 ft · 15 sec · Cambridge Street
15

Turn left onto Hale Street

486 ft · 13 sec · Hale Street
16

Arrive at your destination

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 65.8 miles from Lee, MA, or about 1h 2m into the drive.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 29 miles or 27m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 65.8 miles or 1h 2m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 1h 41m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Lowell, MA than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Lee, MA so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Lee, MA

This is one driving day of about 131.5 miles and 2h 4m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 29 miles from Lee, MA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 65.8 mi from Lee, MA · 1h 2m into the drive

Downtown Wales, MA, MA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Wales, MA

66 mi into the route

Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset

This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.

Pacing Suggestions

Hungary, CT

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 29 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Wales, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 65.8 miles from Lee, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Lowell, MA

The final approach into Lowell, MA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Lowell, MA.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$21.05 one way

$42.09 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 46 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $22.95 $45.90
premium $4.82 $24.97 $49.94
diesel $5.61 $29.03 $58.07

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$21

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$46–$71

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 46 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 39.4 0 $13.81 $6.31
Efficient EV 32.9 0 $11.51 $5.26
EV Truck/SUV 52.6 0 $18.41 $8.42

Gas CO2

46 kg

EV CO2

15 kg (67% less)

This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.

DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Lee, MA

Afternoon in Lee on Saturday

Local time

12:10 PM

EDT

Current temp

56°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Lowell, MA

Afternoon in Lowell on Saturday

Local time

12:10 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

40°F

Wales, MA

66 mi in

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

Time zone

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

7 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

2h 4m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA covers 131.5 miles and takes about 2h 4m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Park Street, Housatonic Street, Massachusetts Turnpike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 65.8 miles from Lee, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $21.05 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

The drive from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA is easy. At 2h 4m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.

This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.

The route from Lee, MA to Lowell, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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