Origin
Lafayette, OR
Late night in Lafayette on Tuesday
Local time
1:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lafayette, OR to Salem, OR
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
23.4 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lafayette, OR
Gian Tripodoro
Salem, OR
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 23.2-mile drive from Lafayette to Salem, Oregon, is easily manageable in about 30 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. You'll navigate primarily on local roads like Pacific Highway West, Southeast Kreder Road, and Southeast Dayton Bypass, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this quick journey is around $5. Given its brevity and local road focus, this route offers a straightforward way to travel between these two points within the Pacific Coast region of Oregon.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Lafayette Highway | 10.2 mi | 15m |
| Wallace Road Northwest | 8.3 mi | 12m |
| Hopewell Road Northwest | 3.4 mi | 6m |
| Center Street Bridge | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| North Madison Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Street Northeast | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| High Street Northeast | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Center Street Northeast | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Southeast Lafayette Highway
— 10.2 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lafayette, OR and Salem, OR.
1
Start on OR 99W
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
East 3rd Street
2
Turn right onto North Madison Street
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
North Madison Street
3
Continue on Southeast Lafayette Highway
10 mi
·
15 min
·
Southeast Lafayette Highway
4
Turn right onto Hopewell Road Northwest
3.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Hopewell Road Northwest
5
At end of road, turn right onto OR 221
8.3 mi
·
12 min
·
Wallace Road Northwest
6
Take the ramp
464 ft
·
11 sec
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Merge onto OR 22
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Center Street Bridge
Use the straight / slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on Center Street Northeast
0.1 mi
·
31 sec
·
Center Street Northeast
9
Turn left onto Liberty Street Northeast
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Liberty Street Northeast
Use the left / straight lanes.
10
Turn right onto Union Street Northeast
447 ft
·
19 sec
·
Union Street Northeast
11
Turn right onto High Street Northeast
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
High Street Northeast
12
Arrive at destination
High Street Northeast
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 14.1 and 23.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
14.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest
At end of road, turn right onto OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest
Navigation decision point
5
22.5 mi into trip
|
~36m 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
23 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
Liberty Street Northeast
Turn left onto Liberty Street Northeast
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
23.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
Union Street Northeast
Turn right onto Union Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
5
23.3 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
High Street Northeast
Turn right onto High Street Northeast
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.66 one way
$9.32 round trip
$5.06/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $5.36 | $4.93 | $9.87 |
| premium | $5.59 | $5.15 | $10.30 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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 Tuesday
Local time
1:57 AM
PDT
Current temp
44°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
38m 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 for this entire trip. With a 0% highway share, you'll be on surface streets and county roads for the full 23.2 miles. The route doesn't feature any particularly long stretches without turns, so staying attentive and comfortable with frequent adjustments will be key. This drive will feel like a series of local connections rather than a continuous flow on a main artery.
Only 0% 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: 10.2 mi on Southeast Lafayette Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 14.1 miles in near OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 38m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 14.1 miles (OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 22.5 miles (OR 22 / Center Street Bridge): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 23 miles (Liberty Street Northeast): Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Arriving in Salem, OR
Full guide →Salem, the capital of Oregon, is located in the Willamette Valley between Portland and Eugene. It is also the county seat of Marion County. Salem was established in the early 1800s as a farming community. The town grew during the years of the California gold rush. Salem became the capital of Oregon in 1851 after it was moved from Oregon City. The capital was then briefly moved to Corvallis in 1855, but in that same year was permanently moved back to Salem. The first two Oregon State Capitol buildings tragically burned down. The third and current building was completed in 1938, complete with its distinctive gold-plated pioneer statue, the "Gold Man," perched atop. Besides being the seat of state government, Salem is also a major agricultural center in one of the most fertile regions in the world.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
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 14.1 miles (OR 221 / Wallace Road Northwest): Navigation decision point; at 22.5 miles (OR 22 / Center Street Bridge): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 23 miles (Liberty Street Northeast): 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Salem, OR
More trips to Salem, OR
Explore more options from Lafayette, OR or browse trips ending in Salem, OR.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse OR road trips.