About the Salem, Massachusetts Area 

Salem is the county seat of Essex County, as well as the educational, medical, legal, cultural and banking hub of the North Shore. It is a colourful, seaside community rich in its historical legacy, as evidenced in its architecture, fine museums, and literary heritage. This well known site of the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692 has much to offer both residents and visitors --- a rich culture, coastal beauty and the amenities of a metropolitan area. 

Location 

Salem is located in Essex County, in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy metro area. Situated in eastern Massachusetts, it is bordered by Swampscott and Lynn on the south, Peabody on the west, Beverly on the north, and Marblehead on the east. 

Salem is located on Salem Bay 16 miles north of Boston; 20 miles southeast of Lawrence; 90 miles south of Portland, Maine; and 242 miles from New York City. 

Salem is 2.8 miles from Marblehead, 3 miles from Swampscott, 3.4 miles from Beverly, 4.5 miles from Peabody, 4.8 miles from Danvers and 4.9 miles from Lynn.  

Airports 

Salem is a short 25 minute drive from General Edward Lawrence Logan Airport, one of the 20 busiest airports in the nation. Logan Airport, located 14 miles away in Boston, serves 22 million passengers and is used by 43 airlines.  

Other major airports serving Salem include Laurence G Hanscom Field, 27 miles away in Bedford, MA; and Pease International Airport, located 39 miles away in Portsmouth, NH. 

There are three smaller public-use airports located near Salem. Beverly Municipal Airport is approximately 5 miles away in Beverly, MA; Plum Island Airport is about 19 miles away in Newburyport MA; and Lawrence Municipal Airport is about 21 miles away in Lawrence MA. 

Terrain  

Salem covers an area of 8.1 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 9 feet above sea level, and has two rivers running through it, the North River and Forest River. 

Population  

The population of Salem is 40,407. The average family income is $55,905.  

The population of Salem is well educated. For the population over 25 years old, 85.2% have a high school degree, 31.1% have a bachelor's degree and10.2% have a graduate or professional degree.  

The unemployment rate is 5.4%. 

Jobs

The industries providing employment in Salem are include Educational, Health and Social Services (23.6%), Manufacturing (12.0%), Professional, Scientific, Management, Administrative (11.9%), and Retail Trade (11.9%). 

The average travel time to work for Salem residents is 27.3 minutes.

Colleges/Universities 

Salem is the home of Salem State College, a public, 4-year liberal arts college offering programs in business, education, social sciences, health professions, and protective services. It offers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and continuing education programs and has a full time enrollment of 5,917.  

The other colleges and universities in the Salem area include North Shore Community College, about 5 miles away in Danvers, MA, with an enrollment of 3,663; Bunker Hill Community College, about 15 miles away in Boston, MA with an enrollment of 3,638; Suffolk University, about 16 miles away in Boston, MA, with an enrollment of 5,291; Emerson College, about 17 miles away in Boston, MA, with an enrollment of 3,697; Tufts University, about 17 miles away in Medford, MA, with an enrollment of 8,627; University of Massachusetts-Boston, about 18 miles away in Boston, MA, with an enrollment of 9,248. 

Housing  

The average price for a home in Salem is $291,487. In Salem you can choose from a variety of housing possibilities including single family homes, condominiums, waterfront homes and town houses. 

Historic Places of Interest 

Salem is home to The House of the Seven Gables, which was made famous by Nathaniel Hawthorne, born in Salem in 1804. It has several Federal Style mansions, many of which were the work of architect and woodcarver Samuel McIntire. The city's largest Historic District is named after him. 

Salem Maritime National Historic Site is the only remaining intact waterfront from the U.S. age of sail. Hamilton Hall was built between 1805 and 1807 as a social center for Salem's merchant families.  

The schooner ‘Fame’ is a replica of a successful privateer from the War of 1812.  

Other historic sites and museums in Salem include the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem Witch Museum, Ropes Mansion, John Ward House, Gardner-Pingree House, and Pierce-Nichols House.  

Burying Point is the oldest cemetery in Salem and contains the graves of a Mayflower pilgrim and witchcraft trial judge John Hathorne. 

Historic districts in Salem are Chestnut Street District, Derby Waterfront District, and Salem Common Historic District. Chestnut Street is considered one of the most architecturally beautiful streets in America.

Parks/Sports/Recreation/Golf 

Salem has many beautiful parks to enjoy including:
Forest River Park offers beaches, a swimming pool and picnic areas.  

Salem Common has 9 acres of land in the heart of the city, and is often used for concerts and festivals.  

Salem Willows Amusement Park is a favorite spot for children.  

Winter Island Marine Park is the home of Historic fort Pickering and Lighthouse. It provides beaches, a boat launch and pier, picnic areas and camp sites.  

Salem Woods (Highland Park) is used by bird watchers, naturalists, Boy Scouts, school science classes, photographers, hikers and bikers. It has been written about by dignitaries and poets and is a favourite picnic area.  

Salem has two private golf courses, the Kernwood Country Club and the Salem Country Club. The Kernwood Country Club is a private 18-hole club, built on hilly terrain with tree-lined fairways. Olde Salem Greens is a public 9-hole course. 

Special Attractions/Events 

Salem is home to the world-famous Peabody Essex Museum. It is a museum of Asian art and culture, and a major museum of early American maritime trade and whaling. It has some of the nation’s finest collections of Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese art. 

Salem Willows offers shaded seaside grounds great ocean views and beaches, a public pier, a bandstand, picnic areas, children's rides, activities and eateries.  

The boat ‘Friendship’ is a reconstruction of a 171-foot three-masted Salem East Indiaman built in 1797. It is the largest wooden, Coast Guard certified, sailing vessel built in New England in over 100 years. 

Many tours and cruises are offered in Salem. You can get to know the city by walking tours, ship cruise, horse-drawn carriage, bike or trolley tour, water taxi or go on a whale watching tour. 

There are many notable locations in Salem, most of them historic in nature. They include Pickering Wharf, Salem Station, Derby Wharf Light, Hatch’s Wharf, Hawthorne’s Birthplace, Hawthorne Cove Marina, Highland Plaza, Andrew-Safford House, Salem City Hall, John Ward House, Jonathan Corwin House, Hathaway House, Hamilton Hall, Cotting-Smith Assembly House, Essex Law Library, and Essex Institute Museum Building. 

Interesting Facts 

In 1790, Salem was the sixth largest city in the country.  

Large parts of Salem were destroyed in the fire of 1914. 

In early Salem, shipping fortunes were built on tea from China and pepper from Sumatra. It was a well-used port for East Indies and American China trade. 

Salem is the birthplace of Nathaniel Hawthorne, author; Brian St. Pierre, NFL player; William H. Prescott, historian; Thomas Watson, inventor; George Swinton Parker, founder of Parker Brothers game company; Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, and Sarah Parker Remond, an anti-slavery and women’s rights activist. One of Salem's most remarkable residents was Nathaniel Bowditch, who published The New American Practical Navigator. 

The name Salem is related to the Hebrew word shalom, meaning 'peace'. 

Salem draws more than one million visitors annually