Origin
Lowell, MA
Morning in Lowell on Saturday
Local time
9:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lowell, MA to South Amherst, MA
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 57m
Distance
78.8 mi
127 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 49m
★
6 AM
1h 58m
8 AM
2h 15m
10 AM
2h 4m
12 PM
2h 2m
3 PM
2h 5m
5 PM
2h 14m
8 PM
1h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
South Amherst, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
The drive from Lowell, MA to South Amherst, MA covers 78.8 miles and takes about 1h 57m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Cambridge Street, Chelmsford Street, Plain Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $12.61 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
39.4 miles from Lowell, MA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 58m into the drive .
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 57m. Total distance: 78.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 57m 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 1h 57m drive with frequent turns across 78.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Cambridge 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 Lowell, MA to South Amherst, MA is easy. At 1h 57m 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 Lowell, MA to South Amherst, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridge Street | — | — |
| Chelmsford Street | — | — |
| Plain Street | — | — |
| Lowell Connector | — | — |
| I 495 South | — | — |
| MA 2 West | — | — |
| Captain Isaac Davis Highway | — | — |
| Concord Turnpike | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Cambridge Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lowell, MA and South Amherst, MA.
1
Start on Hale Street
486 ft
·
15 sec
·
Hale Street
2
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
315 ft
·
16 sec
·
Cambridge Street
3
Turn left onto Chelmsford Street
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
Chelmsford Street
4
Turn left onto Plain Street
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Plain Street
5
Take the ramp straight
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
6
Merge slight left onto Lowell Connector
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Lowell Connector
7
Take the exit slight right toward I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nashua New Hampshire
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
I 495 South, US 3 North: Worcester, Nashua New Hampshire
8
Keep slight left to continue on I 495 South: Worcester
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
I 495 South: Worcester
9
Keep slight left to continue on I 495 South: Marlboro
0.5 mi
·
34 sec
·
I 495 South: Marlboro
10
Merge slight left
11 mi
·
12 min
11
Take the exit slight right toward MA 2 West: Leominster
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
MA 2 West: Leominster
12
Merge slight left onto Captain Isaac Davis Highway
11 mi
·
14 min
·
Captain Isaac Davis Highway
13
Keep slight left to continue on Concord Turnpike
31 mi
·
43 min
·
Concord Turnpike
14
Take the exit sharp left toward US 202 South: Athol, Belchertown
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
US 202 South: Athol, Belchertown
15
Turn left onto Daniel Shays Highway
14 mi
·
23 min
·
Daniel Shays Highway
16
Turn right onto Amherst Road
4.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Amherst Road
17
Continue on Pelham Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Pelham Road
18
Continue on Main Street
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
Main Street
19
Turn left onto South East Street
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
South East Street
20
Continue on South East Street
164 ft
·
5 sec
·
South East Street
21
Turn slight left onto Pomeroy Lane
292 ft
·
9 sec
·
Pomeroy Lane
22
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 39.4 miles from Lowell, MA, or about 58m 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 17 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 39.4 miles or 58m 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 40m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near South Amherst, MA than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Lowell, MA so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Lowell, MA
This is one driving day of about 78.8 miles and 1h 57m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Lowell, 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 39.4 mi from Lowell, MA · 58m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
39 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 39.4 miles from Lowell, MA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in South Amherst, MA
The final approach into South Amherst, MA usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$12.61 one way
$25.22 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
28 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $13.75 | $27.51 |
| premium | $4.82 | $14.96 | $29.93 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $17.40 | $34.80 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 27.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 23.6 | 0 | $8.27 | $3.78 |
| Efficient EV | 19.7 | 0 | $6.90 | $3.15 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 31.5 | 0 | $11.03 | $5.04 |
Gas CO2
28 kg
EV CO2
9 kg (68% 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
South Amherst, MA
Morning in South Amherst on Saturday
Local time
9:45 AM
EDT
Current temp
65°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
39°F
Orange, MA
39 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
2 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
1h 57m 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 South Amherst, MA covers 78.8 miles and takes about 1h 57m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Cambridge Street, Chelmsford Street, Plain Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 39.4 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 $12.61 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 Lowell, MA to South Amherst, MA is easy. At 1h 57m 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 Lowell, MA to South Amherst, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Lowell, MA to South Amherst, 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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