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North of Boston/Merrimack Valley scenic drives unveil ocean views, villages, and fine fall foliage

Essex Coastal Scenic Byway

Route 33 to Route 1A Gloucester to Newburyport, MA Phone:

Length: 24 miles

Travelers along the Essex National Heritage Area Scenic Byway will see historic seaports, Colonial era farms, village centers, and a wealth of period architecture. Set against the backdrop of New England's largest salt marsh, the byway traverses six communities and is anchored at each end by the destination cities of Gloucester, a large active fishing community, and Newburyport, a historic shipbuilding and trade port renowned for its Federal Period architecture.
Along the way the route passes through Essex, a small community with extensive farmland, woodlots, marsh views, and a thriving antiques trade. The coastal towns of Ipswich, Rowley and Newbury, among the country's oldest settlements, are well-known for their collection of First Period dwellings and other vestiges of 17th- and 18th-century rural New England like town greens, burying grounds, meeting houses, and early maritime sites.