How far is Shirley, MA from Lowell, MA?

The driving distance from Shirley, MA to Lowell, MA is about 25.2 miles (40.5 km), with a travel time of about 00h 29m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 18.1 miles (29.1 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 00h 59m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
25.17 mi
00h 29m
Flight
18.06 mi
29.06 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Shirley.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
18.06 mi
Kilometers
29.06 km
Flight Time
00h 02m

Driving Distance

Road route
25.17 mi
Kilometers
40.51 km
Drive Time
00h 29m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 29m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Lowell
Thu, Apr 23, 12:53 AM EDT
Return by in Shirley
Thu, Apr 23, 1:23 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Shirley
2026-04-23T00:24
Arrive Lowell
Thu, Apr 23, 12:53 AM EDT
Route Timing
00h 29m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:30 AM to 7:30 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:30 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Shirley
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Littleton Common
MA

Census-designated place in Middlesex County, Massachusetts

From Shirley
10.7 mi
00h 14m
To Lowell
14.5 mi
00h 14m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
62°F
Thursday

Partly Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
3 to 9 mph NW
Destination
58°F
Thursday

Partly Sunny

Starts
Thu, Apr 23 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
2 to 10 mph NW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Shirley and Lowell.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Shirley and Lowell.

  1. 1

    Start on Chapel Street

    23 m · 5 sec · Chapel Street

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Porter Street

    96 m · 15 sec · Porter Street

  3. 3

    Turn right onto Front Street

    1.6 mi · 3 min · Front Street

  4. 4

    Continue on West Main Street

    2.6 mi · 6 min · West Main Street

  5. 5

    Continue on Harvard Road

    1158 ft · 20 sec · Harvard Road

  6. 6

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward Littleton Road

    129 m · 7 sec · Littleton Road

  7. 7

    Exit the roundabout onto Littleton Road

    1.9 mi · 3 min · Littleton Road

  8. 8

    Continue on Ayer Road

    1.8 mi · 3 min · Ayer Road

  9. 9

    Continue on King Street

    1.5 km · 1 min · King Street

  10. 10

    Take the ramp slight right toward I 495 North: Lowell, Lawrence

    1876 ft · 46 sec

  11. 11

    Merge slight left

    8.9 mi · 10 min

  12. 12

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

    1311 ft · 34 sec

  13. 13

    Turn right onto Chelmsford Street

    2.6 mi · 5 min · Chelmsford Street

  14. 14

    Turn right onto Cambridge Street

    96 m · 15 sec · Cambridge Street

  15. 15

    Turn left onto Hale Street

    148 m · 13 sec · Hale Street

  16. 16

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Hale Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Shirley and Lowell.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
16 steps
7 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
5
1 merges, 4 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
63.5 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
I 495 North
9.27 mi · 37%
Chelmsford Street
2.6 mi · 10%
West Main Street
2.59 mi · 10%
Littleton Road
1.93 mi · 8%
Ayer Road
1.76 mi · 7%
Front Street
1.57 mi · 6%
Longest Stretch

I 495 North

Merge slight left

8.92 mi · 00h 10m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 29m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
01h 00m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+7.1 mi
18.1 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Littleton Common
00h 14m from Shirley
Leave By
7:30 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Partly Sunny leaving Shirley and Partly Sunny near Lowell.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Shirley to Lowell?

The road trip is about 25.2 miles (40.5 km) and usually takes 00h 29m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Littleton Common is a useful midpoint, sitting about 10.7 miles from Shirley and 14.5 miles from Lowell.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 18.1 miles (29.1 km), while the road route adds roughly 7.1 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:30 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $3.46 one way or $6.92 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 7.9 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Partly Sunny around Shirley and Partly Sunny near Lowell.

Stop Ideas Near Littleton Common

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Littleton Common, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Littleton Common.

BUS

Nashua, NH

27 mi away
8 North Southwood Drive
RAIL

Anderson Regional Transportation Center

28 mi away
100 Atlantic Ave.
RAIL

Framingham station

30 mi away
417 Waverly St.
RAIL

Back Bay station

39 mi away
145 Dartmouth St.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Shirley and Lowell. Straight-line distance: 18.06 mi (29.06 km).

Shirley

#1 Shirley

Town in Massachusetts, United States

Population7,554
Coordinates42.5437000, -71.6495100
Altitude87
CountryUnited States
Lowell

#2 Lowell

The third most populous city in Massachusetts.

Population110,904
Coordinates42.6334200, -71.3161700
Altitude36
CountryUnited States
Start: Chapel Street (-71.649542, 42.543819)
End: Hale Street (-71.316165, 42.633415)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 41 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 50m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 37m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 30m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 25m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 21m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 18m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.89 gal
3.36 L · about $3.46
Round trip
$6.92
1.78 gal · 6.72 L
Estimated CO2
7.9 kg one way
Round trip: 15.8 kg / 35 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.89 $3.46 $6.92
Mid-grade $4.40 $3.91 $7.83
Premium $4.80 $4.27 $8.54
Diesel $4.49 $3.99 $7.99

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Massachusetts · Apr 23, 2026

There is no time difference between Shirley and Lowell. The current time is 00:24:06.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.