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Trip from Lowell, MA to Ashburnham, MA

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

Drive Time

59m

Distance

39 mi

63 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 9m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m

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

Downtown Lowell, MA, MA

Lowell, MA

Phil Evenden

town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

Ashburnham, MA

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Lowell, MA to Ashburnham, MA covers 39 miles and takes about 59m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Captain Isaac Davis Highway, I 495, Concord Turnpike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.9 miles on Captain Isaac Davis Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.24 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 39 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

59m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

The drive from Lowell, MA to Ashburnham, MA covers 39 miles and takes about 59m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 28 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Captain Isaac Davis Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 10.9 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 19 decision points packed into just 39 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 19 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

8
1.8 mi into trip | ~3m in

Take the exit toward I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nashua New Hampshire

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 2B-A Toward I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nash...
8
2 mi into trip | ~3m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 South: Worcester

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 2A Toward I 495 South: Worcester
5
2.3 mi into trip | ~4m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 South: Marlboro

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward I 495 South: Marlboro
5
2.8 mi into trip | ~4m in | I 495

Merge onto I 495

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
13.4 mi into trip | ~16m in

Take the exit toward MA 2 West: Leominster

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

Exit 78B Toward MA 2 West: Leominster

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Captain Isaac Davis Highway 10.9 mi 14m
I 495 10.7 mi 12m
Concord Turnpike 3.8 mi 5m
Ashburnham State Road 2.3 mi 4m
Fitchburg Road 1.7 mi 2m
Water Street 1.6 mi 2m
Ashburnham Street 1.4 mi 3m
Kimball Street 1.1 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Captain Isaac Davis Highway — 10.9 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on Hale Street

486 ft · 14 sec · Hale Street
2

Turn right onto Cambridge Street

314 ft · 16 sec · Cambridge Street
3

Turn left onto MA 110

0.6 mi · 56 sec · Chelmsford Street
4

Turn left onto Plain Street

0.1 mi · 11 sec · Plain Street
5

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 29 sec
6

Merge onto Lowell Connector

0.8 mi · 1 min · Lowell Connector
7

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 16 sec
Exit 2B-A Toward I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nashua New Hampshire Use the slight right lane.
8

Keep slight left at fork

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Exit 2A Toward I 495 South: Worcester Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.5 mi · 33 sec
Toward I 495 South: Marlboro
10

Merge onto I 495

11 mi · 12 min · I 495
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 78B Toward MA 2 West: Leominster
12

Merge onto MA 2

11 mi · 14 min · Captain Isaac Davis Highway
13

Keep slight left at fork onto MA 2

3.8 mi · 5 min · Concord Turnpike
14

Turn right onto Abbott Avenue

0.7 mi · 1 min · Abbott Avenue
15

At end of road, turn left onto MA 12

1.6 mi · 2 min · Water Street
16

Turn left onto MA 2A; MA 12

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Laurel Street
17

Turn slight right onto MA 2A; MA 12

1.1 mi · 1 min · Kimball Street
18

Enter roundabout onto MA 2A; MA 12; MA 31

71 ft · 3 sec · River Street
19

Continue on MA 2A; MA 12; MA 31

0.9 mi · 2 min · River Street
20

Turn right onto Mayland Street

0.1 mi · 33 sec · Mayland Street
21

Continue on Fairview Street

508 ft · 28 sec · Fairview Street
22

Turn left onto Westminster Hill Road

0.1 mi · 31 sec · Westminster Hill Road
23

Turn right onto MA 12

1.4 mi · 3 min · Ashburnham Street
24

Continue on MA 12

2.3 mi · 4 min · Ashburnham State Road
25

Continue on MA 12

1.7 mi · 2 min · Fitchburg Road
26

Continue on MA 12

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Main Street North
27

Turn right onto MA 101

136 ft · 2 sec · Water Street
28

Arrive at destination

MA 101

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 19.5 mi from Lowell, MA · 25m into the drive

city in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Fitchburg, MA

20 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

Westminster, MA

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Ayer, MA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.5 miles from Lowell, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Ashburnham, MA

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Ashburnham, MA if you are unfamiliar with the area.

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

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.24 one way

$12.48 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.43 $6.81 $13.61
premium $4.82 $7.41 $14.81
diesel $5.61 $8.61 $17.22

Estimated Tolls: $0.26

Concord Turnpike (3.8 mi) $0.26

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Tolls

$0

Total

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.7 0 $4.10 $1.87
Efficient EV 9.8 0 $3.41 $1.56
EV Truck/SUV 15.6 0 $5.46 $2.50

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Lowell, MA

Night in Lowell on Friday

Local time

11:18 PM

EDT

Current temp

63°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Ashburnham, MA

Night in Ashburnham on Friday

Local time

11:18 PM

EDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

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

25 degrees cooler at arrival

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

Road read

59m 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 Lowell, MA to Ashburnham, MA covers 39 miles and takes about 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Captain Isaac Davis Highway, I 495, Concord Turnpike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 19.5 miles from Lowell, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.24 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.

This is a short but busy drive. With 19 decision points packed into just 39 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully.

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

Yes. Nearby national parks include Lowell National Historical Park, Minute Man National Historical Park and Boston National Historical Park. There are 6 parks within detour distance of this route.

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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Ashburnham, MA to Lowell, MA

Plan the drive back the other way.

39.3 mi 1h 1m

Explore more options from Lowell, MA or browse trips ending in Ashburnham, MA.

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