Updated November 2026 · Nashua, NH
Nashua to Tewksbury drop-off directions, turn by turn
These are our Nashua to Tewksbury drop-off directions from City Hall to 1215 Main Street: about 22 miles down the Everett Turnpike, US 3 and I-495, typically 30 to 35 minutes without traffic. You also get the best hours to leave, what to bring and what happens at the counter.
99¢ per pound at our Tewksbury drop-off. Walk in weekdays, no appointment needed.
- 22 mi from Nashua City Hall
- 99¢ per pound
- Since 2007
- BBB A+ rated
Quick answer
From Nashua City Hall at 229 Main Street, take the Everett Turnpike south, which continues into Massachusetts as US 3, then I-495 north toward Lawrence to Exit 92 for Route 38, and follow Route 38 (Main Street) south about 2.6 miles to New Hampshire Document Shredding at 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA. The trip is about 22 miles and typically 30 to 35 minutes without traffic. Walk-in drop-off runs Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at 99 cents a pound plus $34.90 per job, one of the everyday options for shredding in Nashua.
Nashua to Tewksbury drop-off directions, step by step
The whole trip is four roads, and three of them are highway. You never use I-93 for this run, whatever an old web page or a hurried guess tells you. From Nashua, I-93 is out of the way. Route 3 and I-495 are the straight line.
- Leave downtown on Main StreetFrom City Hall at 229 Main Street, head south on Main Street. It becomes the Daniel Webster Highway. A little over a mile on, follow the signs for the Everett Turnpike and US 3 south toward Boston. From other parts of the city, use the turnpike entrance nearest you.
- Ride the turnpike into MassachusettsStay on the Everett Turnpike south. It crosses the state line and continues as US 3 through Tyngsborough and into Chelmsford. This is the long leg, about 11 miles.
- Take I-495 north toward LawrenceIn Chelmsford, take the exit for I-495 and Route 110, then keep to the ramps signed I-495 North, Lawrence. Do not take I-495 South toward Marlboro. You stay on I-495 north for about three miles past Lowell.
- Exit at Route 38Take Exit 92, signed Route 38, Lowell and Tewksbury. At the end of the ramp, follow Route 38 south toward Tewksbury. Route 38 is Main Street here.
- Drive Main Street to number 1215Our building is about 2.6 miles down Main Street from the I-495 ramp. Look for 1215 Main Street and Unit 115. Park out front, where parking is free.
| Leg | Road | About | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Main Street and the Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua | 3 miles | Signs for Everett Turnpike / US 3 South, Boston |
| 2 | Everett Turnpike south, becoming US 3 in Massachusetts | 11 miles | Exit for I-495 and Route 110 in Chelmsford |
| 3 | I-495 north toward Lawrence | 4 miles with ramps | Exit 92, Route 38, Lowell / Tewksbury |
| 4 | Route 38 (Main Street) south, Tewksbury | 2.6 miles | 1215 Main Street, Unit 115 |
Mileages are rounded from City Hall and add up to about 22 miles. Massachusetts switched its highway exits to mileage-based numbers, so an old printout that shows a different exit number for Route 38 is out of date. Follow the Route 38, Lowell and Tewksbury signs and you will not go wrong.
The route at a glance: Nashua to Tewksbury drop-off directions on one map
If you like to see the shape of a drive before you start, here it is. South out of Nashua, across the state line, a short hop east on I-495, then a few miles south on Route 38.
Two places catch first-timers. The first is the Chelmsford interchange, where several ramps split close together. Keep reading the signs for I-495 North and Lawrence. The second is the bottom of the Exit 92 ramp, where you want Route 38 toward Tewksbury, not toward Lowell.
When to leave Nashua
The route never changes. The clock does. US 3 and I-495 both carry heavy weekday commuter traffic, and the drive that takes half an hour at eleven in the morning can take a good deal longer at five past four. Our counter hours narrow the choice further.
| Leave Nashua | What to expect | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|
| Before 9:20 a.m. | Southbound morning commute on US 3 and I-495, and you reach Tewksbury before we open | Wait. Leaving around twenty past nine puts you here near opening time. |
| 9:20 to 11:30 a.m. | The morning rush has usually eased | The best window. Plan on the 30 to 35 minute base time. |
| 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. | Midday traffic, usually steady | A good choice. Add a little cushion for lunch-hour traffic on Main Street. |
| 2 to 3:30 p.m. | Afternoon traffic starts to build on I-495 | Fine, but leave margin so you are not racing the 5 p.m. close. |
| After 3:30 p.m. | Evening commute on I-495 and US 3, in both directions | Avoid if you can. Come another day rather than arriving after 4:30. |
This is planning guidance from the shape of the route and our hours, not measured traffic data. Weather, a crash or roadwork changes any day, so check a live traffic map on your phone before you pull out. Fridays before a holiday weekend and snowy mornings are the two times we would build in the most slack.
Starting from another part of Nashua
City Hall is our reference point because it is easy to find. Most people start from home or work, and the first few minutes differ. After you are on the Everett Turnpike south, everyone takes the same road.
South Nashua
Near Spit Brook Road or the Daniel Webster Highway shops close to the state line, you are already a few miles closer than downtown. Pick up the turnpike south at the nearest entrance and the trip is shorter than 22 miles.
West side and Amherst Street
From the west side, head for the closest turnpike entrance rather than driving through downtown. Once you are southbound on the turnpike, the directions above take over at step two.
Hudson, Litchfield and Merrimack
Neighbors use the same corridor. From Merrimack, the Everett Turnpike south runs straight through Nashua to the state line. From Hudson or Litchfield, the turnpike is one option once you cross the river into Nashua, so check a map for the entrance nearest you.
Running a Nashua office with a records room rather than a few boxes from home? Our page on Nashua business shredding pickup covers scheduling and Zone 2 prices for offices. Coming from the border towns instead, the Salem NH to Tewksbury drop-off guide covers the I-93 route.
What to bring in the car
Pack the night before. A banker’s box of paper weighs about 30 pounds, so a full trunk is heavier than it looks. Boxes with lids travel better than open bags, and tape keeps loose paper from sliding around the cargo area.
You do not need to sort much. Staples, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands and file folders can stay in. Pull three-ring binder hardware and hanging-folder frames, which do not belong in a shredder.
Old hard drives, CDs, USB sticks and phones go in their own bag. They are physically destroyed and quoted per item, so tell us about them when you arrive. Our checklist on how to prepare documents for shredding has the full list.
Not sure what is worth the trip? Start with tax paperwork. The IRS says to keep records that support a return for 3 years in the usual case, 6 years if you left out income worth more than 25 percent of what you reported, and 7 years if you claimed a loss from worthless securities or a bad debt. Employment tax records for a small business run at least 4 years. Anything older than your longest clock, with an account number, a Social Security number or a signature on it, belongs in a box.
The FTC’s advice to consumers is short: when you get rid of documents with personal information, shred them before you throw them away. A drive down Route 3 once a year with everything that has aged out is a simple way to keep that habit.
- Boxes taped shut, with lids if you have them.
- Binder rings and hanging-folder frames removed.
- Drives, discs and phones in a separate bag.
- A rough count of boxes, so you know which price applies.
- If you are clearing records for a business or a practice, your own log of what is in the boxes.
What happens when you arrive
Walk-in drop-off needs no appointment during our hours. The visit itself is short. Most of the time is the drive.
- Park out frontParking is free. Staff help you unload, so you do not need to carry every box in yourself.
- Weigh at the counterYour boxes are weighed and logged on the job. Under 10 boxes the weight sets the price at 99 cents a pound. At 10 or more, the flat box rate applies.
- Pay the jobEvery job adds $34.90: a $14.95 HIPAA filing fee for the certificate paperwork and a $19.95 environmental fee for recycling.
- Shredded the same business dayDrop-off paper is cross-cut shredded at our Tewksbury office the same business day it reaches the counter.
- Get your certificateYou receive a Certificate of Destruction for the job, and all of the shredded paper is recycled.
Want to watch your papers go through the shredder instead of leaving them? That is a witnessed session, booked ahead at $1.99 a pound with a $100 minimum, plus the $34.90 per-job fees. Our drop-off shredding page has more on the walk-in service.
Drive it down or book a Zone 2 pickup?
Nashua sits in pickup Zone 2, so a pickup adds a $159.95 transportation fee to the same shredding rates and per-job fees. The chart shows what that means for a typical load.
Drive when
You have one to five boxes, someone has a free late morning, and the boxes fit in one car. The $159.95 saved is real money for a household, and the round trip is a little over an hour plus a few minutes at the counter.
Book the pickup when
Your basement is full of cartons, nobody should be lifting 30-pound boxes, or the office cannot spare a person for two hours. Pickup is by appointment, the material is shredded at the Tewksbury office after it arrives, and the certificate is the same.
For the full side-by-side, see our comparison of drop-off vs off-site. Free community shred days run by towns, banks and credit unions are another option, and our post on free shredding in Nashua explains how they work and where the paid options fit.
Heading home to Nashua
The trip back is the same roads in reverse. From our lot, turn onto Main Street (Route 38) and head north toward Lowell for about two and three quarter miles, then take the ramp for I-495 South toward Marlboro.
Stay on I-495 south for about two miles, then take the exit for US 3 toward Burlington and Nashua, and keep to the ramps signed US 3 North, Nashua New Hampshire. US 3 north becomes the Everett Turnpike at the state line. Take the Nashua exit nearest your destination.
If you leave our counter after about 3:30 p.m., expect the evening commute on I-495 and US 3. One option on a busy afternoon is to run another errand in Tewksbury first and drive home once the worst has passed. Another is simply to come earlier in the day next time.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Nashua from your Tewksbury drop-off?
About 22 miles from Nashua City Hall at 229 Main Street to our office at 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA. Without traffic the drive typically takes 30 to 35 minutes. Starting in south Nashua near the state line is a few miles shorter. Weekday rush hours on US 3 and I-495 add time.
What is the fastest route from Nashua to Tewksbury?
Take the Everett Turnpike south, which becomes US 3 in Massachusetts, to I-495 in Chelmsford. Follow I-495 north toward Lawrence for about three miles to Exit 92 for Route 38, then take Route 38 (Main Street) south toward Tewksbury about 2.6 miles. You do not need I-93 for this trip.
Do I need an appointment to drop off from Nashua?
No. Walk-in drop-off runs Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with no appointment. Aim to arrive by 4:30 so there is time to unload and weigh. Witnessed sessions and pickups are by appointment, and can be arranged outside regular hours. Book online or call (978) 636-0301 if you want to confirm before you leave.
What time should I leave Nashua?
Leaving between about twenty past nine and half past eleven in the morning is the easiest window, since the southbound commute has usually eased and we open at 10 a.m. Midday works well too. Avoid leaving after about 3:30 p.m. if you can. Check a live traffic map before you go, because weather and crashes change any day.
How much does it cost to drop off one box from Nashua?
One banker’s box of paper weighs about 30 pounds. At 99 cents a pound that is $29.70, plus $34.90 in per-job fees, for $64.60 in total. Five boxes come to $183.40. At 10 or more boxes the flat rate is $20 per large box, so ten come to $234.90. The drive itself has no fee.
Is a Zone 2 pickup in Nashua worth it instead of driving?
For a few boxes, driving usually wins, because the pickup adds a $159.95 transportation fee. For a basement or office full of cartons, or when nobody should lift heavy boxes, the pickup is worth it. Shredding rates and the $34.90 per-job fees are the same either way, and both include a Certificate of Destruction.
Do I have to remove staples before I drive down?
No. Staples, paper clips, binder clips, rubber bands and file folders can stay in. Remove three-ring binder hardware and hanging-folder frames. Put old drives, discs and phones in a separate bag, since media is physically destroyed and quoted per item. Tape the boxes shut so nothing spills in the car.
Is there a drop box or office in Nashua?
There is not. New Hampshire Document Shredding has one location, its office at 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, Massachusetts, where all shredding happens. Nashua customers either drive down, book a Zone 2 pickup, or book a witnessed session at the Tewksbury office.
Sources
- City of Nashua: official site, City Hall at 229 Main Street, Nashua, NH 03060 (checked November 2026)
- IRS: How long should I keep records (checked November 2026)
- Federal Trade Commission: What To Know About Identity Theft (checked November 2026)
Load the car and come on down
Pick a late morning, follow the turnpike south and bring your boxes to the counter. You pay 99 cents a pound, the paper is shredded the same business day, and you leave with a Certificate of Destruction. Prefer not to drive? Book a Zone 2 pickup.
Visit or call
1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876. Route 38, about 2.6 miles south of I-495 Exit 92. Free parking out front, and staff help you unload.
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Witnessed sessions and pickups outside these hours by appointment.
Three ways to shred: walk-in drop-off at 99¢ per pound, pickup by zone, or a witnessed session at $1.99 per pound.
New Hampshire Document Shredding · 1215 Main Street, Unit 115, Tewksbury, MA 01876 · (978) 636-0301 · Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.