Best Time to Drive from Boston to Salem

Right now (8:03 pm EDT): about 33 minutes via I-93 North, usually 32 at this time.

Only 77% of this drive is measured by working traffic sensors right now. The rest is estimated from nearby sensors, typical speeds and street traffic, so times can be off. Why so few sensors work.

Typical drive time by departure time

Minutes from Boston to Salem by day and time you leave (local time)
Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	32	35	41	38	35	33	34	34	40	48	52	46	40	33	32	34
Tue	32	33	37	44	42	37	34	34	35	43	52	58	58	44	35	32	35
Wed	32	32	36	44	41	38	35	36	36	44	54	61	59	42	35	32	35
Thu	32	32	36	45	42	36	35	35	36	44	55	64	60	45	36	33	38
Fri	32	31	33	36	35	34	36	39	45	58	62	62	55	40	33	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	41	39	37	35	34	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	30	30	30	30	31	32	34	36	34	34	33	32	32	32	32	36

About this drive

On weekdays the 34-mile drive from Boston to Salem (via I-93 North) usually takes as little as 31 minutes and up to 64 minutes, when leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays. The fastest times to leave are before 7 am. Midday (11 am to 2 pm) it takes about 38 minutes. On weekends it is slowest around 12 pm on Saturdays (41 minutes).

About 30 miles of it is freeway, where times follow typical and live traffic from our sensors, and about 4 miles surface streets (6 to 13 minutes on weekdays), estimated from how jammed the freeways around them are at that time. Drive times are measured from central Boston to central Salem along the route on the map. Starting or ending elsewhere in a big city can add or save several minutes.

Simulated from typical freeway speeds at each point of the drive for the time you would reach it, from every 5-minute reading we have recorded. We don't have sensors on surface streets yet, so the time on them is estimated from how congested the freeways around each end of the drive are at that time, in both directions: streets jam when the freeways do.

Questions

What is the best time to drive from Boston to Salem?

On weekdays, leave before 7 am. The drive usually takes about 31 minutes then, versus up to 64 minutes at the worst times.

How long does it take to drive from Boston to Salem?

The 34-mile drive usually takes 31 to 64 minutes on weekdays, depending on when you leave, and about 38 minutes midday.

When is traffic worst from Boston to Salem?

Leaving around 4 pm on Thursdays is usually slowest, about 64 minutes.

Freeways on this drive

I-93 North in Boston (30 miles)

Boston traffic right now · Boston traffic tomorrow

More drives

Salem to Boston (return trip) · Boston to Quincy · Boston to Framingham · Boston to Worcester · Boston to Lowell · Boston to Burlington MA · Boston to Woburn · Boston to Braintree · Boston to Andover · Boston to Brockton · Boston to Plymouth MA · Boston to Natick

Open the live traffic map →

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	32	35	41	38	35	33	34	34	40	48	52	46	40	33	32	34
Tue	32	33	37	44	42	37	34	34	35	43	52	58	58	44	35	32	35
Wed	32	32	36	44	41	38	35	36	36	44	54	61	59	42	35	32	35
Thu	32	32	36	45	42	36	35	35	36	44	55	64	60	45	36	33	38
Fri	32	31	33	36	35	34	36	39	45	58	62	62	55	40	33	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	41	39	37	35	34	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	30	30	30	30	31	32	34	36	34	34	33	32	32	32	32	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	32	35	41	38	35	33	34	34	40	48	52	46	40	33	32	34
Tue	32	33	37	44	42	37	34	34	35	43	52	58	58	44	35	32	35
Wed	32	32	36	44	41	38	35	36	36	44	54	61	59	42	35	32	35
Thu	32	32	36	45	42	36	35	35	36	44	55	64	60	45	36	33	38
Fri	32	31	33	36	35	34	36	39	45	58	62	62	55	40	33	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	41	39	37	35	34	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	30	30	30	30	31	32	34	36	34	34	33	32	32	32	32	36

Leave	5am	6am	7am	8am	9am	10am	11am	12pm	1pm	2pm	3pm	4pm	5pm	6pm	7pm	8pm	9pm
Mon	32	32	35	41	38	35	33	34	34	40	48	52	46	40	33	32	34
Tue	32	33	37	44	42	37	34	34	35	43	52	58	58	44	35	32	35
Wed	32	32	36	44	41	38	35	36	36	44	54	61	59	42	35	32	35
Thu	32	32	36	45	42	36	35	35	36	44	55	64	60	45	36	33	38
Fri	32	31	33	36	35	34	36	39	45	58	62	62	55	40	33	32	32
Sat	31	31	31	31	32	34	38	41	39	37	35	34	33	32	32	32	32
Sun	31	30	30	30	30	31	32	34	36	34	34	33	32	32	32	32	36