Origin
Lowell, MA
Afternoon in Lowell on Saturday
Local time
12:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lowell, MA to Cochituate, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
28.3 mi
46 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Cochituate, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Lowell to Cochituate is 28.3 miles and takes about 40 minutes via US 3, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Massachusetts, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a relatively short drive, perfect for a quick transit or a leisurely afternoon excursion. You'll experience a mixed drive, so expect some variety on the road. Given the short duration, this is comfortably a one-day trip.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 40m. Total distance: 28.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This route offers a mixed drive, meaning you'll encounter both highway and local road conditions. Approximately 32% of the journey is on highways, providing stretches where you can maintain higher speeds. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 9.1 miles on US 3. As you progress, expect the character of the drive to shift, transitioning from potentially faster highway sections to more typical local road driving.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
US 3 is the longest continuous segment at about 9.1 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 0.1 miles in near Cambridge Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 28.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles (I 95; MA 128 / Yankee Division Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cambridge Street
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
Navigation decision point
8
12.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 72B
Toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
5
13 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 95; MA 128 / Yankee Division Highway
Merge onto I 95; MA 128 / Yankee Division Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
21 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward US 20: Weston, Waltham
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 41
Toward US 20: Weston, Waltham
5
28.3 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Lowell, MA to Cochituate, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Waltham along the way.
Waltham
21 mi in
|
~27m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| US 3 | 9.1 mi | 10m |
| Yankee Division Highway | 8 mi | 10m |
| Boston Post Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Lowell Connector | 2.1 mi | 2m |
| Old Connecticut Path | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Cochituate Road | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Chelmsford Street | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
US 3
— 9.1 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lowell, MA and Cochituate, 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
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
7
Continue on Lowell Connector
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
Exit 1A
Toward US 3 South: Boston
8
Merge onto US 3
9.1 mi
·
10 min
·
US 3
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.7 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 72B
Toward I 95 South: Providence Rhode Island
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 95; MA 128
8.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 41
Toward US 20: Weston, Waltham
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto US 20
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Weston Street
13
Continue on US 20
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Boston Post Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
14
Turn slight left onto Old Connecticut Path
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Connecticut Path
15
Turn left onto MA 27
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Cochituate Road
16
Continue on MA 27
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
17
Turn left
88 ft
·
8 sec
18
Turn right
44 ft
·
3 sec
19
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.53 one way
$9.06 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.94 | $9.88 |
| premium | $4.82 | $5.37 | $10.75 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.25 | $12.50 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| Efficient EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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.
Destination
Cochituate, MA
Afternoon in Cochituate on Saturday
Local time
12:19 PM
EDT
Current temp
40°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
23 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
40m 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 Cochituate, MA covers 28.3 miles and takes about 40m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are US 3, Yankee Division Highway, Boston Post Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 14.1 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 $4.53 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 12 decision points packed into just 28.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Cambridge Street): Navigation decision point; at 12.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13 miles (I 95; MA 128 / Yankee Division Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Lowell, MA to Cochituate, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Waltham along the way.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Cochituate, MA
More trips to Cochituate, MA
Explore more options from Lowell, MA or browse trips ending in Cochituate, MA.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MA road trips.