Origin
Salem, MA
Late night in Salem on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Salem, MA to Waltham, MA
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
43m
Distance
23.3 mi
38 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 40m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 51m
10 AM
0h 46m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Salem, MA
José Alcalá
Waltham, MA
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short, 23.3-mile drive from Salem, MA to Waltham, MA will take approximately 43 minutes. Designed as a single-day trip, you won't need to worry about overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost is around $4, making it an economical journey. You'll primarily navigate local streets like Western Avenue, Highland Avenue, and Pleasant Street, with only a small portion on highways. The overall feel is a turn-heavy local drive, so be prepared for frequent adjustments. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, specifically in Massachusetts.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Western Avenue | 3.6 mi | 6m |
| Highland Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Pleasant Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Broadway | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Lincoln Avenue | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Lynn Street | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Waverley Oaks Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Lake Street | 1.2 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Western Avenue
— 3.6 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Salem, MA and Waltham, MA.
1
Start on Gedney Street
150 ft
·
9 sec
·
Gedney Street
2
Turn right onto Margin Street
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Margin Street
3
Continue on Jefferson Avenue
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Jefferson Avenue
4
Turn right onto Jackson Street
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
·
Jackson Street
5
At end of road, turn left onto MA 107
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Highland Avenue
6
Continue on MA 107
2.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Western Avenue
7
Enter roundabout onto MA 107
178 ft
·
2 sec
·
Western Avenue
8
Continue on MA 107
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Western Avenue
Use the straight lane.
9
Continue on MA 107
0.1 mi
·
14 sec
·
Salem Turnpike
10
Turn right onto Ballard Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Ballard Street
11
Turn left onto Lincoln Avenue
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lincoln Avenue
12
Continue on Lincoln Avenue
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
Lincoln Avenue
13
Continue on Salem Street
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Salem Street
14
Continue on Lynn Street
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Lynn Street
15
Turn left onto MA 99
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Broadway
16
Enter roundabout onto Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
227 ft
·
4 sec
·
Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
Toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
17
Continue on Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
0.4 mi
·
35 sec
·
Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
Toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
18
Enter roundabout
179 ft
·
5 sec
19
Continue
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
20
Merge onto MA 16
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
Revere Beach Parkway
21
Continue on MA 16
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Mystic Valley Parkway
Use the straight lane.
22
Continue on Mystic Valley Parkway Connector
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Mystic Valley Parkway Connector
23
Continue on Harvard Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Harvard Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
24
Continue on Warner Street
0.2 mi
·
20 sec
·
Warner Street
25
Enter roundabout onto Powder House Boulevard
127 ft
·
2 sec
·
Powder House Boulevard
26
Continue on Powder House Boulevard
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Powder House Boulevard
27
Turn left onto North Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
North Street
28
At end of road, turn right onto Broadway
0.4 mi
·
47 sec
·
Broadway
29
Turn left onto Cleveland Street
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Cleveland Street
30
At end of road, turn right onto US 3; MA 2A
222 ft
·
12 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue
31
Turn left onto Lake Street
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Lake Street
Use the straight lane.
32
Turn left onto MA 60
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Pleasant Street
33
Turn straight onto MA 60
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Trapelo Road
34
Turn left onto MA 60
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Waverley Oaks Road
Use the left lane.
35
Continue on MA 60
0.4 mi
·
40 sec
·
Linden Street
36
Turn right onto US 20
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Main Street
Use the right lane.
37
Arrive at destination
US 20
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 215 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 21.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Margin Street
Turn right onto Margin Street
Navigation decision point
6
8.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
Lincoln Avenue
Enter roundabout onto Lincoln Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
12.9 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
Enter roundabout onto Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MA 16 West: Medford, Somerville
6
16 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Powder House Boulevard
Enter roundabout onto Powder House Boulevard
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
21.1 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
MA 60 / Waverley Oaks Road
Turn left onto MA 60 / Waverley Oaks Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.73 one way
$7.46 round trip
$4.07/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.43 | $4.07 | $8.13 |
| premium | $4.82 | $4.42 | $8.85 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.14 | $10.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
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 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.04 | $0.93 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.3 | 0 | $3.26 | $1.49 |
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
Waltham, MA
Late night in Waltham on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°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
1 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
43m 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 23.3-mile trip. With only an 8% highway share, most of your journey will be on city streets and local roads, requiring constant attention to turns and traffic signals. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 3.6 miles on Western Avenue. This means the drive is characterized by frequent changes in direction and speed, rather than long, open stretches of highway. You'll experience a more intimate, ground-level perspective of the towns and neighborhoods you pass through.
Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
37 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 3.6 mi on Western Avenue.
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 21 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Margin Street.
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 23.3 miles you will encounter 21 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: near the start (Margin Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.7 miles (Lincoln Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 12.9 miles (Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. 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.
On the drive from Salem, MA to Waltham, MA, road signs begin pointing toward Somerville along the way.
Somerville
12.9 mi in
|
~22m
|
via Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway
About the Cities
Arriving in Waltham, MA
Full guide →Waltham is a city in the American state of Massachusetts. It is 10 miles (16 km) west of central Boston on the Charles River, and 3 miles from the city limits to the east. Waltham is part of the Greater Boston conurbation; even so, it has a unique character compared to Boston's other suburbs, and is one of the most significant regional centers for employment, culture, education and food in the entire metro area. It is sometimes called "Watch City" because it was home to Waltham Watch Company. Many high-tech companies have made Waltham their home. It is also home to Bentley College and Brandeis University.
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 43m. Total distance: 23.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 3.6 miles on Western Avenue. 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 Waltham, MA 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.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Margin Street): Navigation decision point; at 8.7 miles (Lincoln Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 12.9 miles (Krystyl K. Poirier Memorial Roadway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Salem Maritime National Historical Park, Boston National Historical Park and Minute Man National Historical Park (6 total within detour distance). See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waltham, MA 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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