Origin
Cornelius, OR
Late night in Cornelius on Sunday
Local time
12:33 AM
PDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cornelius, OR to Salem, OR
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
47.7 mi
77 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 12m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cornelius, OR
Wikimedia Commons
Salem, OR
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning to travel from Cornelius to Salem, expect a straightforward 47.7-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 18 minutes to complete. This trip is ideally suited for a single-day outing, meaning you can easily head out and return without needing an overnight stay. Your budget for fuel should be around $9, making this a very affordable excursion within the Pacific Coast region. You will navigate via a combination of local routes, including the Tualatin Valley Highway, Southeast Lafayette Highway, and Wallace Road Northwest. Because the route relies entirely on local roads, it offers a more grounded experience than a standard interstate commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Lafayette Highway | 10.2 mi | 15m |
| Tualatin Valley Highway | 9 mi | 12m |
| Wallace Road Northwest | 8.3 mi | 12m |
| Northeast North Valley Road | 3.8 mi | 5m |
| Hopewell Road Northwest | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| Northeast Abbey Road | 3.3 mi | 6m |
| Northeast Kuehne Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Northeast Flett Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Southeast Lafayette Highway
— 10.2 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cornelius, OR and Salem, OR.
1
Start on South 10th Avenue
400 ft
·
17 sec
·
South 10th Avenue
2
Turn left onto OR 8
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Adair Street
3
Continue on OR 8
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
Pacific Avenue
4
Turn left onto OR 47
6.8 mi
·
9 min
·
Tualatin Valley Highway
5
Continue on OR 47
0.4 mi
·
58 sec
·
Front Street
6
Continue on OR 47
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Tualatin Valley Highway
7
Turn left onto Northeast Flett Road
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Northeast Flett Road
8
Continue on Northeast Spring Hill Road
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast Spring Hill Road
9
Continue on Northeast North Valley Road
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Northeast North Valley Road
10
Continue on Northeast Ribbon Ridge Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Northeast Ribbon Ridge Road
11
At end of road, turn right onto OR 240
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
·
Yamhill-Newberg Highway
12
Turn slight left onto Northeast Kuehne Road
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Northeast Kuehne Road
13
Continue on Northeast Hendricks Road
441 ft
·
12 sec
·
Northeast Hendricks Road
14
Turn left
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
15
Continue on Northeast Abbey Road
3.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Northeast Abbey Road
16
Continue on North Bridge Street
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
North Bridge Street
17
Turn left onto East 2nd Street
0.2 mi
·
42 sec
·
East 2nd Street
18
Turn right onto North Madison Street
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
North Madison Street
19
Continue on Southeast Lafayette Highway
10 mi
·
15 min
·
Southeast Lafayette Highway
20
Turn right onto Hopewell Road Northwest
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Hopewell Road Northwest
21
At end of road, turn right onto OR 221
8.3 mi
·
12 min
·
Wallace Road Northwest
22
Take the ramp
464 ft
·
11 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
23
Merge onto OR 22
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Center Street Bridge
Use the straight / slight left / slight right lanes.
24
Continue on Center Street Northeast
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Center Street Northeast
25
Turn left onto Liberty Street Northeast
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Liberty Street Northeast
Use the left / straight lanes.
26
Turn right onto Union Street Northeast
447 ft
·
19 sec
·
Union Street Northeast
27
Turn right onto High Street Northeast
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
High Street Northeast
28
Arrive at destination
High Street Northeast
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 23.8 miles from Cornelius, OR, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 24.4 and 47.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
24.4 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
North Madison Street
Turn right onto North Madison Street
Navigation decision point
5
38.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
|
OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest
At end of road, turn right onto OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest
Navigation decision point
5
46.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
OR 22 / Center Street Bridge
Merge onto OR 22 / Center Street Bridge
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left / slight right lanes.
7
47.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
|
Liberty Street Northeast
Turn left onto Liberty Street Northeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
47.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 17m in
|
Union Street Northeast
Turn right onto Union Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.50 one way
$19.00 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
17 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $10.06 | $20.11 |
| premium | $5.59 | $10.50 | $21.00 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.53 | $21.06 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 16.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
| Efficient EV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.17 | $1.91 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.1 | 0 | $6.68 | $3.05 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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, OR
Late night in Salem on Sunday
Local time
12:33 AM
PDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
46°F
Dayton, OR
24 mi in
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
18 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 18m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous interstate cruise, as this route features zero percent highway travel. The driving environment changes frequently as you transition between the Tualatin Valley Highway and Southeast Lafayette Highway. You will find that the longest uninterrupted stretch of road is a modest 10.2 miles, requiring you to stay alert and engaged with the steering wheel. This is a technical, winding path that demands your full attention compared to high-speed, straight-line highway driving. You will spend the entire 1 hour and 18 minutes navigating local roads, which gives the trip a distinct, community-focused feel.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
28 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.2 mi on Southeast Lafayette Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 14 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 24.4 miles in near North Madison Street.
Driving Effort
5/10
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 47.7 miles you will encounter 14 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 24.4 miles (North Madison Street): Navigation decision point; at 38.4 miles (OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 46.8 miles (OR 22 / Center Street Bridge): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 18m. Total distance: 47.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.2 miles on Southeast Lafayette Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 24.4 miles (North Madison Street): Navigation decision point; at 38.4 miles (OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 46.8 miles (OR 22 / Center Street Bridge): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Salem, OR 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.
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