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Essex, MA Road Trips

Plan drives from Essex, MA with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.

Downtown Essex, MA, MA

Photo: Italo Melo

Trip Routes

4

Longest Drive

81 mi

Fall River, MA

Quickest Drive

47m

Boston, MA

Plan Around Essex, MA

Popular Incoming Routes

Useful if Essex, MA is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.

Continue From Essex, MA

Good next legs if this city is only one stop in a longer road trip.

Trips from Essex, MA

Essex, MA by the Numbers

Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

Population

1,775

Median Income

$156,094

Median Home Value

$774,400

Median Age

42.2

Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.

Traveler Guide to Essex, MA

Essex is a town in on Cape Ann in the North Shore region of Massachusetts. Settled by direct descendants of the Mayflower passengers in the early 1600s, it was later world-renowned as North America's fishing schooner construction center. Today, history permeates the town, enhanced by its many antique stores. Its population was shy of 4k during the 2020 census.

1 The Essex Historical Society & Shipbuilding Museum, 66 Main Street, ☏ +1 978 768-7541, fax: +1 978-768-2541, [email protected]. Photographs, tools and artifacts associated with the town's 300 year history of shipbuilding. The museum also offers historical interpretation of several other properties including an 1835 schoolhouse. Adults, $7; Seniors, $6; ages 6-18 $5, under 6 free.. 2 Cogswell's Grant, ☏ +1 978 768-3632. Spring Street. Open June 1 - Oct 15 W-Su. Tours houly noon-4PM. $10. A 1728 farmhouse richly decorated with American folk art pieces.

Essex River Cruises, 35 Dodge St, ☏ +1 978 768-6981. Essex River Basin Adventures, 1 Main St, ☏ +1 978 768-3722. Sea kayaking for everyone. Wildlife tours, instruction, rentals.

Blue Marlin Grille, 65 Eastern Ave, ☏ +1 978-768-7400. Essex Seafood, 143R Eastern Ave, ☏ +1 978-768-7233. J.T. Farnham’s, 88 Eastern Ave, ☏ +1 978-768-6643. Fortune Palace II, 99 main St, ☏ +1 978-768-3839. Periwinkles, 74 Main St, ☏ +1 978-768-6320. Shea’s Riverside, 122 Main St, ☏ +1 978-768-6931. Windward Grille, 109 Eastern Ave, ☏ +1 978-768-0050. Woodman’s of Essex, 121 Main St, ☏ +1 978-768-6451. Seafood in the rough.

Red Barrel Pub, 171 Eastern Ave, ☏ +1 978-768-7210.

George Fuller House, 148 Main St, ☏ +1 978-768-7766. Nice downtown bed and breakfast. Essex River House Motel, 132 Main St, ☏ +1 978-768-6800. One night stays available.

From the South Take Interstate 93 North to the Route 128/Peabody exit. Follow 128/I-95 North staying to the left (Route 128) at the 128/I-95 split. Take Exit 15 Manchester/Essex. At the end of the ramp turn left. From the North Take Interstate 95 South to the Route 128/Gloucester exit. Follow 128/I-95 North staying to the left (Route 128) at the 128/I-95 split. Take Exit 15 Manchester/Essex. At the end of the ramp turn left. While there is no direct train service to Essex, on weekends during summer months the Ipswich Essex Explorer connects with the MBTA commuter rail at Ipswich on the Newburyport line.

Travel tips adapted from Essex (Massachusetts) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.

Trips to Essex, MA

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