Overview
The North Shore region of Massachusetts can be found just north of Greater Boston, along the Atlantic coast. It includes a variety of small and affluent towns, each with their own history dating back centuries.
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 80°F; winter lows dip to about 18°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Oct and Dec. (climate data from nearby Beverly)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BOS Boston Logan International Airport, Boston — 20 mi away (major hub). Directions
- BED Laurence G Hanscom Field, Bedford — 26 mi away. Directions
A car can be useful outside of the Salem city center, given the infrequent and limited coverage of the commuter rail and bus service, but consider the commuter rail if a station is nearby. Traffic congestion on the highways increases the closer to Boston and Salem you are.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Salem — Peabody Essex Museum, House of the Seven Gables, The Witch House.
- Day 2: Newburyport — Cushing House Museum and Garden, Custom House Maritime Museum, Joppa Flats Education Center & Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Day 3: Rockport — Motif #1, Halibut Point State Park, Paper House.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Photos
Places in North Shore
Salem
City / town · 91 listings
Newburyport
City / town · 36 listings
Rockport
City / town · 32 listings
Gloucester
City / town · 30 listings
Danvers
City / town · 24 listings
Ipswich
City / town · 22 listings
Manchester
City / town · 17 listings
Marblehead
City / town · 17 listings
Beverly
City / town · 16 listings
Hamilton
City / town · 16 listings
Essex
City / town · 15 listings
Peabody
City / town · 12 listings
Lynn
City / town · 11 listings
Salisbury
City / town · 9 listings
Topsfield
City / town · 5 listings
Nahant
City / town
Cities
- Lynn — "City of sin" no longer; today Lynn is known for its arts & culture, large immigrant communities, and oceanfront views.
- Salem — Location of the infamous 1692 Salem witch trials, many finely preserved 17th and 18th century buildings remain.
- Newburyport — Coastal town and popular tourist destination with beautiful natural areas, water activities and fine dining.
- Topsfield — Best known for the Topsfield Fair and Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.
Cape Ann
- Essex — Shipbuilding history and antique shoppes
- Gloucester — Artist colony and historical fishing center
- Manchester-by-the-Sea — home of popular Singing Beach
- Rockport — Scenic artist colony and Motif No. 1
Towns
- Beverly —
- Danvers —
- Hamilton —
- Ipswich —
- Marblehead —
- Nahant —
- Peabody —
- Salisbury —
Get in
A car can be useful outside of the Salem city center, given the infrequent and limited coverage of the commuter rail and bus service, but consider the commuter rail if a station is nearby. Traffic congestion on the highways increases the closer to Boston and Salem you are.
By public transit
Go MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority)
One of the busiest rail systems in the United States, the MBTA Commuter Rail runs the Newburyport/Rockport Line which provides service to the area roughly every hour. The MBTA runs bus service to Marblehead, Salem, Swampscott, Lynn, and Revere. See Boston#By public transit for additional information.
Get around
By public transit
By bicycle
The North Shore can be an extremely charming locale, and offers several memorable routes. The Northern Strand Trail ends in Lynn, and from there the East Coast Greenway can take you to Salem and beyond. The Cape Ann loop out by Rockport is on the bucket list of many a road cyclist.
See
Museums
With children
Itineraries
- Essex Coastal Scenic Byway — A 90 mi scenic drive along the Atlantic Ocean, where you'll pass scores of historical sights and breathtaking views.
Do
Beaches
Events
- St. Peter's Fiesta — Last weekend in June, Gloucester. Watch scores of manly men walk "the Greasy Pole" and unceremoniously fall into the ocean on their quest to capture the flag and secure bragging rights for the day.
- Topsfield Fair — Last weekend in September, Topsfield. America's oldest county fair began in 1818 as a one-day cattle show. Today local farmers show their stuff at a variety of exhibition halls. Cows, goats, bunnies, chickens; fruits and flowers, even bees! The Great Pumpkin Weigh Off is a highlight, with modern winners tipping the scales at over 2,000 pounds.
- Halloween — October 31st, Salem. Perhaps the largest Halloween celebration in the world, Salem welcomes half a million costumed party-goers annually. Visit "Witch City" to join the fun, and experience a variety of parties, parades, tours, and attractions; haunted or otherwise.
Eat
Drink
Go next
- Merrimack Valley — Along the mighty Merrimack river you'll find 19th-century industrial mill towns blended with modern suburbs, rural farms, and quaint orchards.
- Greater Boston — The most populated region in New England, this is the urbanized collection of towns that tightly surround the eponymous city.
- Seacoast (New Hampshire) — New Hampshire really makes the most of its only outlet on the sea.
Nearby
Saugus
City / town · 8 listings · 14 mi away
North Reading
City / town · 10 listings · 14 mi away
Wakefield
City / town · 7 listings · 15 mi away
Reading
City / town · 12 listings · 16 mi away
Groveland
City / town · 7 listings · 16 mi away
Revere
City / town · 9 listings · 17 mi away
Stoneham
City / town · 4 listings · 17 mi away
Andover
City / town · 45 listings · 18 mi away
My experience
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