Solar eclipse in New England: Traffic, lodging, events and what else to know

As the 2024 solar eclipse approaches, communities in northern New England are preparing for tens of thousands of sightseers to descend into the region to catch a glimpse of the sunny spectacle.

Monday's total solar eclipse — an event that will see the moon block the surface of the sun from Earth's view for a few minutes — will cross North America, beginning on Mexico's western coast, continuing through the United States and finishing in Newfoundland, Canada. Just over a dozen U.S. states are in the path of totality, including sections of Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. People outside of the path of totality will be able to witness a partial eclipse.

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The hype surrounding the eclipse has surpassed what even some experts have expected, and preparations in some New England communities have been long in the making, as these areas hope to make the most of the rare showing in the sky.

"We fully expect millions of dollars in economic impact from this in those small communities," Director of the Maine Office of Tourism Steve Lyons said. "We hope that people discover different places in the state that they haven't discovered before."

Here's a rundown of what to know in New England ahead of Monday's eclipse.

Where and when will the eclipse be visible in New England?

While a partial eclipse will be visible across the entire continental United States, only a strip of the country from Texas to Maine will be able to witness the total solar eclipse.

The strip will pass over the northern half of Vermont, including communities like Burlington, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury and more. A small tip of New Hampshire will be in the path of totality, just north of Berlin. A decent swath of northern, rural Maine will get to see the total eclipse, including places like Rangeley, Greenville, Millinocket, Houlton, Presque Isle and more. Burlington, Vermont, is by far the largest New England city to be in the path of totality.

Many of the rural communities in the stretch are looking forward to welcoming new visitors.

"The path of totality is going through the northern part of the state, in a very rural, but very pretty area of the state, and so we're looking forward to introducing that to many people," Lyons said.

Lyons said that ski resorts in Maine are planning to hold eclipse parties, adding that this event could prove to be a critical boost for the region.

"They didn't have quite as much snow this year," Lyons said. "So this is really going to give us a shot in the arm for some of those small communities who have typically relied on on the snow dealing to, fill their coffers."

NASA created this table with a timeline of the eclipse for Burlington, Vermont, Lancaster, New Hampshire and Caribou, Maine.

Planning your eclipse trip

The slogan surrounding the Great North American has been to "come early and stay late."

Officials hope that if people do that, some of the anticipated traffic gridlock can be avoided.

AAA Northeast is expecting significant traffic volume.

"From everywhere we look, there's a lot of indications that it's going to be pretty wild out there on the roadways on Monday, especially that peak period, right when the eclipse starts to happen," Mark Schieldrop, AAA Northeast spokesperson said. "If you are heading up in that area, hopefully you're not trying to do it on the day off, because we think that there's a possibility that some of the major highways heading up north are going to be really backed up."

With many people anticipated in rural areas and along secondary roads, Schieldrop said that safety behind the wheel is especially important to consider. He warned to be conscious of lingering winter conditions from this week's Nor'easter, and the mud that can come with springtime in northern New England.

"A lot of these communities and these rural areas are just not equipped for that level of traffic volume," Schieldrop said. "There is a concern that folks are going to kind of go off the beaten path trying to avoid the crowds and get a special, secret spot to catch the eclipse and only find themselves stuck."

Even for people in Greater Boston who aren't heading up north to see the eclipse, Schieldrop said to anticipate possible traffic impacts as eclipse travelers mix with commuters on New England's major interstates.

As for lodging, hotel space is filling up quickly and at this point limited. Available rooms are likely to be pretty pricey.

Each of the New England states in the path of totality have put out their own guidelines, event listings and other relevant information.

To learn more about viewing the eclipse in Maine, click here.

Here is where you can learn more about eclipse viewing in New Hampshire.

Vermont's webpage about the 2024 eclipse may be found here.

More on the 2024 solar eclipse

Apr 4

How to use apps to track and photograph the total solar eclipse

Apr 3

Here's how to watch next week's total eclipse safely