Salem: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Salem is a city of 175,535 people in United States (Oregon), 55 m (180 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Portland International Airport (PDX), 80 km (50 mi) from the centre. It has 1 railway station on record, including Salem station.
Key facts
Daylight in Salem runs from about 8 h 50 min a day in late December to 15 h 40 min in late June (computed for 44.94° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Salem is served by 3 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Portland International Airport (PDX), 80 km (50 mi) from the centre, whose 11,000-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Salem-Willamette Valley Airport/McNary Field (SLE, 4 km), Eugene Airport (EUG, 92 km).
Flights to Salem: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Salem station. Trains to Salem
Buses to Salem · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Seattle, 301 km — flights · trains · buses · car rental
- Portland, 70 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Victoria, 389 km (Canada) — flights · trains
- Tri-Cities, 332 km — buses · car rental
- Tacoma, 261 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Vancouver, 83 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Eugene, 99 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Bellevue, 303 km — buses · car rental
- Kent, 278 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Gresham, 78 km — buses · car rental · tours
Twin towns and sister cities: Kawagoe, Simferopol.
Common questions
Which airport serves Salem?
Portland International Airport (PDX), 80 km (50 mi) from the centre, plus 2 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Salem?
About 175,535 people live in Salem, across 127 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Salem in?
America/Los_Angeles, currently UTC-7.
What currency is used in Salem?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Salem?
Seattle (301 km), Portland (70 km), Victoria (389 km), Tri-Cities (332 km), Tacoma (261 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.