How far is Kensington, NH from Salem, NH?

The driving distance from Kensington, NH to Salem, NH is about 24.9 miles (40 km), with a travel time of about 00h 30m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 16.2 miles (26 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 01h 00m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This is an easy same-day return drive. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
24.88 mi
00h 30m
Flight
16.16 mi
26 km direct

This is an easy same-day return drive.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Kensington.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
16.16 mi
Kilometers
26 km
Flight Time
00h 01m

Driving Distance

Road route
24.88 mi
Kilometers
40.04 km
Drive Time
00h 30m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 00h 30m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in Salem
Sat, Apr 11, 3:42 PM EDT
Return by in Kensington
Sat, Apr 11, 4:12 PM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Kensington
2026-04-11T15:12
Arrive Salem
Sat, Apr 11, 3:42 PM EDT
Route Timing
00h 30m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT
Leave when it suits your day
Arrive between
7:30 AM to 7:30 PM EDT

This is a short drive, so your comfort window is wide. Traffic and current weather matter more than the clock.

Leave by
7:30 PM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 01h 30m at the destination.
Back in Kensington
10:00 PM EDT
Flexible departure

This departure sits inside the recommended comfort window for the route.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Newton
NH

Town in New Hampshire, in the United States

From Kensington
11.1 mi
00h 15m
To Salem
13.7 mi
00h 15m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
55°F
Saturday

Sunny

Starts
Sat, Apr 11 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
10 mph NW
Destination
56°F
Saturday

Sunny

Starts
Sat, Apr 11 6:00 AM EDT
Wind
8 to 12 mph NW

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Kensington and Salem.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Kensington and Salem.

  1. 1

    Start on Trundlebed Lane

    62 m · 13 sec · Trundlebed Lane

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Amesbury Road

    1.5 km · 2 min · Amesbury Road

  3. 3

    Keep slight right to continue on Amesbury Road

    1.4 mi · 2 min · Amesbury Road

  4. 4

    Continue on Exeter Road

    1.1 mi · 2 min · Exeter Road

  5. 5

    Continue on Market Street

    1.9 mi · 3 min · Market Street

  6. 6

    Exit the roundabout onto Main Street

    127 m · 10 sec · Main Street

  7. 7

    Continue on Friend Street

    894 ft · 25 sec · Friend Street

  8. 8

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward School Street

    40 m · 4 sec · School Street

  9. 9

    Exit the roundabout onto School Street

    574 ft · 18 sec · School Street

  10. 10

    Continue on Main Street

    2755 ft · 1 min · Main Street

  11. 11

    Turn right onto Haverhill Road

    581 ft · 16 sec · Haverhill Road

  12. 12

    Keep slight left to continue on Haverhill Road

    1676 ft · 50 sec · Haverhill Road

  13. 13

    Turn left

    1204 ft · 24 sec

  14. 14

    Take the ramp slight right toward I 495 South: Haverhill

    1636 ft · 40 sec

  15. 15

    Merge slight left

    10 mi · 12 min

  16. 16

    Take the exit slight right toward MA 97, MA 110, MA 113: Haverhill, Salem New Hampshire

    830 ft · 20 sec

  17. 17

    Keep slight right to continue on MA 97: Haverhill, Salem New Hampshire

    816 ft · 23 sec

  18. 18

    Turn right onto Broadway

    1.2 mi · 2 min · Broadway

  19. 19

    Continue on State Route 97

    1.8 mi · 4 min · State Route 97

  20. 20

    Continue on Ayers Village Road

    1.2 km · 2 min · Ayers Village Road

  21. 21

    Continue on Main Street

    1 mi · 2 min · Main Street

  22. 22

    Turn left

    34 m · 8 sec

  23. 23

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Kensington and Salem.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
23 steps
8 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
6
1 merges, 5 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
92.4 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
I 495 South
10.3 mi · 41%
Amesbury Road
2.35 mi · 9%
Market Street
1.85 mi · 7%
State Route 97
1.83 mi · 7%
Main Street
1.63 mi · 7%
Broadway
1.17 mi · 5%
Longest Stretch

I 495 South

Merge slight left

10 mi · 00h 12m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A short regional drive

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

Drive Time
00h 30m
Quick drive
Same-Day Return
01h 00m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+8.7 mi
16.2 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Newton
00h 15m from Kensington
Leave By
7:30 PM EDT
Flexible departure
Weather Watch

Sunny leaving Kensington and Sunny near Salem.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Kensington to Salem?

The road trip is about 24.9 miles (40 km) and usually takes 00h 30m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This route is short enough to handle as a quick errand, commute, or easy same-day return without much planning overhead.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Newton is a useful midpoint, sitting about 11.1 miles from Kensington and 13.7 miles from Salem.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 16.2 miles (26 km), while the road route adds roughly 8.7 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 7:30 PM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $3.47 one way or $6.94 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 7.8 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Sunny around Kensington and Sunny near Salem.

Stop Ideas Near Newton

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Newton, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Newton.

BUS

Newburyport, Massachusetts

11 mi away
90 Storey Avenue
RAIL

Haverhill station

12 mi away
Washington Street at Railroad Square
RAIL

Exeter station

14 mi away
60 Lincoln Street
BUS

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

28 mi away
185 Grafton Drive

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Kensington and Salem. Straight-line distance: 16.16 mi (26 km).

Kensington

#1 Kensington

Town in New Hampshire, United States

Population2,090
Coordinates42.9270300, -70.9439400
Altitude35
CountryUnited States
Salem

#2 Salem

Town in New Hampshire, United States

Population30,641
Coordinates42.7884200, -71.2008900
Altitude40
CountryUnited States
Start: Trundlebed Lane (-70.94373, 42.92688)
End: (-71.200866, 42.788382)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 40 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)00h 49m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)00h 37m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)00h 29m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)00h 24m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)00h 21m
80 mph (129 km/h)00h 18m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
0.88 gal
3.32 L · about $3.47
Round trip
$6.94
1.76 gal · 6.64 L
Estimated CO2
7.8 kg one way
Round trip: 15.6 kg / 34 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.95 $3.47 $6.94
Mid-grade $4.46 $3.92 $7.84
Premium $4.86 $4.28 $8.55
Diesel $6.00 $5.28 $10.55

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in New Hampshire · Apr 11, 2026

There is no time difference between Kensington and Salem. The current time is 15:12:25.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.