Origin
New Bedford, MA
Evening in New Bedford on Sunday
Local time
7:24 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA
Drive Time
1h 22m
Distance
84.6 mi
136 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Loading...
station data
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 16m
★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 35m
10 AM
1h 27m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
New Bedford, MA
Phil Evenden
Lowell, MA
Phil Evenden
Trip Overview
The drive from New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA covers 84.6 miles and takes about 1h 22m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Purchase Street, Nauset Street, Hathaway Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.47 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.
Break Rhythm
0 planned breaks
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
42.3 miles from New Bedford, MA
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 41m into the drive .
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 22m drive with frequent turns across 84.6 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Purchase 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.
Route Complexity
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
The drive from New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA is easy. At 1h 22m 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 New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Nauset Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Hathaway Road | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Mount Pleasant Street | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Kings Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| MA 140 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway | Unavailable | Refreshing |
| MA 24 North | Unavailable | Refreshing |
Per-road distance and duration are being refreshed from OSRM for this route.
Longest stretch:
Purchase Street
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between New Bedford, MA and Lowell, MA.
1
Start on Pleasant Street
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Pleasant Street
2
Continue on Purchase Street
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Purchase Street
3
Continue on Nauset Street
0.3 mi
·
46 sec
·
Nauset Street
4
At the end of the road, turn right onto Hathaway Road
302 ft
·
6 sec
·
Hathaway Road
5
Continue on Mount Pleasant Street
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Mount Pleasant Street
6
Turn right onto Kings Highway
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Kings Highway
7
Take the ramp left toward MA 140 North: Taunton, Boston
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
MA 140 North: Taunton, Boston
8
Merge slight left onto Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway
16 mi
·
18 min
·
Alfred Bessette Memorial Highway
9
Take the exit slight right toward MA 24 North: Boston
0.2 mi
·
55 sec
·
MA 24 North: Boston
10
Merge slight left onto Amvets Highway
23 mi
·
26 min
·
Amvets Highway
11
Keep slight left to continue on I 93 South, US 1 South
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 93 South, US 1 South
12
Merge slight right onto Yankee Division Highway
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Yankee Division Highway
13
Keep slight left to continue on I 95 North, US 1 South: Dedham, Portsmouth New Hampshire
0.6 mi
·
50 sec
·
I 95 North, US 1 South: Dedham, Portsmouth New Hampshire
14
Merge slight right
23 mi
·
30 min
15
Take the exit slight right toward US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
US 3 North: Lowell, Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, Nashua New Hampshire
16
Keep slight right to continue on US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
17
Continue on US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
US 3 North: Lowell, Nashua New Hampshire
18
Continue straight
9.4 mi
·
10 min
19
Keep slight left
0.5 mi
·
32 sec
20
Take the exit slight right toward MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
MA 110, I 495 South: Chelmsford, Marlboro
21
Keep slight left to continue on MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
0.3 mi
·
21 sec
·
MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
22
Keep slight right to continue on MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
MA 110: Lowell, Chelmsford
23
Turn right onto Chelmsford Street
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Chelmsford Street
24
Turn right onto Cambridge Street
315 ft
·
15 sec
·
Cambridge Street
25
Turn left onto Hale Street
486 ft
·
13 sec
·
Hale Street
26
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 42.3 miles from New Bedford, MA, or about 41m 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 80 miles or 1h 18m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 42.3 miles or 41m 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 10m
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 New Bedford, 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 New Bedford, MA
This is one driving day of about 84.6 miles and 1h 22m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from New Bedford, MA.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 42.3 mi from New Bedford, MA · 41m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
42 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 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 42.3 miles from New Bedford, 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
$13.47 one way
$26.93 round trip
$4.04/gal
25.4 MPG avg
30 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.40 | $14.65 | $29.29 |
| premium | $4.80 | $15.98 | $31.97 |
| diesel | $5.64 | $18.80 | $37.59 |
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: 29.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 25.4 | 0 | $8.88 | $4.06 |
| Efficient EV | 21.2 | 0 | $7.40 | $3.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 33.8 | 0 | $11.84 | $5.41 |
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Destination
Lowell, MA
Evening in Lowell on Sunday
Local time
7:24 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Along the Route
49°F
Brookhaven, NY
42 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
22 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
1h 22m 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 New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA covers 84.6 miles and takes about 1h 22m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Purchase Street, Nauset Street, Hathaway Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 42.3 miles from New Bedford, MA. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $13.47 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 New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA is easy. At 1h 22m 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 New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from New Bedford, MA to Lowell, MA does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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