Origin
Auburn, NH
Late night in Auburn on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Auburn, NH to Salem, NH
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
25.9 mi
42 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Auburn, NH
Wikimedia Commons
Salem, NH
Banx Photography
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick excursion through New Hampshire, this 25.9-mile journey from Auburn to Salem is a straightforward option. Expect to spend about 36 minutes behind the wheel, making it an ideal candidate for a single-day trip. You will primarily navigate via the Alan B Shepard Highway, Alan B Shepard Jr Highway, and Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway. Since this is a short, local transit within the Northeast region, you can easily complete it in one go without needing an overnight stay. Budgeting roughly $4 for fuel should be plenty to cover the distance, allowing for a budget-friendly commute between these two towns. It is a practical, no-nonsense route that serves as a reliable connection for your travel plans.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway | 10.8 mi | 12m |
| NH 101 | 4.7 mi | 5m |
| Alan B Shepard Highway | 4.4 mi | 5m |
| Main Street | 2.1 mi | 5m |
| Hooksett Road | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Alan B Shepard Jr Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Pelham Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway
— 10.8 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Auburn, NH and Salem, NH.
1
Start on Hooksett Road
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Hooksett Road
2
Turn left
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 2
Use the left lane.
3
Merge onto NH 101
4.7 mi
·
5 min
·
NH 101
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93
4.4 mi
·
5 min
·
Alan B Shepard Highway
Toward I 93 South: Derry, Boston
Use the slight left lane.
5
Continue on I 93
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Alan B Shepard Jr Highway
6
Continue on I 93
11 mi
·
12 min
·
Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
Exit 2
Toward Pelham, Salem
8
Keep slight left at fork
321 ft
·
9 sec
9
Turn left onto Pelham Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Pelham Road
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on Main Street
2.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
11
Turn right
113 ft
·
8 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 1.8 and 23.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
1.8 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Exit 2
5
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
NH 101
Merge onto NH 101
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
6.7 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway toward I 93 South: Derry, Boston
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 93 South: Derry, Boston
6
22.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward Pelham, Salem
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 2
Toward Pelham, Salem
4
23.3 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.17 one way
$8.34 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.59 | $9.18 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.96 | $9.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.72 | $11.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.8 | 0 | $2.72 | $1.24 |
| Efficient EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.27 | $1.04 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.4 | 0 | $3.63 | $1.66 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Salem, NH
Late night in Salem on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
8 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
36m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
Prepare for a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention rather than a monotonous interstate cruise. Because this route has a highway share of 0%, you should anticipate frequent navigation through local roads rather than high-speed highway stretches. The path lacks a significant longest uninterrupted stretch, meaning you will be adjusting your speed and handling turns consistently throughout the 36-minute duration. Unlike an open-road highway trip, this drive keeps you engaged with the local infrastructure of the region. It is a technical, low-speed experience that feels more like a cross-town errand than a long-distance haul.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.8 miles in.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 25.9 miles you will encounter 7 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles (NH 101): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Auburn, NH and Salem, NH, road signs point toward Boston and Pelham.
Boston
6.7 mi in
|
~10m
|
via I 93
Pelham
22.9 mi in
|
~29m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 25.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on Alan Bartlett Shepard Junior Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Salem, NH before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through NH can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 2 miles (NH 101): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.7 miles (I 93 / Alan B Shepard Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Salem, NH before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Salem, NH
More from Auburn, NH
More trips to Salem, NH
Explore more options from Auburn, NH or browse trips ending in Salem, NH.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse NH road trips.