Boston Travel Risk — Moderate Risk (30/100)
Is Boston safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Boston scores 30/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The UK has no advice against travel; Canada says: exercise normal security precautions. The US State Department does not issue advice for United States. No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Natural disasters (score 10)
Transport safety (score 25)
September 27, 2026
Boston, United States has a current Travel Risk Calculator composite score of 30 out of 100 (moderate risk tier); the highest-rated risk category is transport safety at 25/100; the lowest-rated category is natural disasters at 10/100; last updated September 27, 2026. For official nationwide security advisories, entry requirements, and health notices, see the United States travel risk page. Real-time conditions below include live weather, official advisory levels, GDACS disaster alerts, and current news.
Get a personalized assessment for your tripHow safe is Boston to visit in 2026?
Boston currently sits at 30/100 on our composite travel-risk index, which puts it in the moderate-risk tier. Most travelers will be fine with normal precautions, but a few categories below score high enough that planning matters. The highest-rated risk category for Boston is transport safety (25/100), and the lowest is natural disasters (10/100). This page was last updated on September 27, 2026; the baseline category scores reflect analytical indicators, layered with live conditions throughout the day. Live conditions — weather and air quality every 30 minutes, US State Department advisory every 6 hours, GDACS disaster alerts every 30 minutes, CDC health notices every 12 hours, and news every hour — are cached at the source and refreshed automatically when stale.
Driven by: security (35/100) and natural hazards (49/100).
A score of 30 is higher than the scores of 32% of the 241 countries we cover.
AI safety snapshot · refreshed Oct 15, 2026
Boston currently holds a baseline composite risk score of 31 out of 100, alongside an active orange disaster alert for tropical cyclone ISAIAS-26 affecting the area with strong winds. Additionally, travelers should note a Level 1 global dengue health notice from the CDC and ongoing construction for a new remote terminal in Braintree.
AI-summarized strictly from the live public-source data below (US State Dept advisory, GDACS, CDC, Google News). Auto-refreshed at most once per day on the first visit. Not official advice.
Live conditions last refreshed: Oct 16, 2026 07:23 UTC
What should I do now?
- Run a real assessment. Open the calculator for live data (weather, advisory, news) layered onto this baseline.
- Transport safety (score 25/100): Use the safest available transit. For high-risk routes, prefer reputable carriers and avoid late-night driving.
- Crime (score 22/100): Use registered taxis or ride-share apps. Keep electronics out of sight in public transit. Read recent reviews for your specific neighborhood.
- Check your country's advisory. The single most authoritative live signal. Linked at the bottom of every real assessment.
Day vs Night Safety in Boston
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
Daytime transit and exploration in central areas are generally safe and routine. Standard alertness in crowded transit hubs and tourist plazas is adequate.
After dark, keep to well-illuminated thoroughfares and busy dining/entertainment quarters. Use verified taxis or rideshare apps when returning late.
Safety by Traveler Type in Boston
Guidance based on our scores and official advice — not a measured score.
No group-specific warning is triggered in Boston for solo travelers (Crime 22/100 · Transport 25/100), women traveling solo (Crime 22/100), families with children (Health 15/100 · Natural disaster 10/100), older travelers (Health 15/100 · Transport 25/100), business travelers (Digital 15/100 · Money 20/100 · Transport 25/100) and lgbtq+ travelers (Advisory 20/100 · Political 15/100): these scores sit in the low-to-moderate range, so standard precautions apply. Local laws affecting LGBTQ+ travelers and gender-specific incident rates are not captured in our scores; check your government's travel guidance.
Score layers
Safety categories
Source: Grounded open data research & citations
Quick facts
| Hospital access | medium |
|---|---|
| Airport risk | medium |
| Road safety | medium |
| Public transport | medium |
| Tourist scam risk | medium |
| Night safety | medium |
| Last updated | September 27, 2026 |
Live conditions in Boston
Real-time data refreshed from public sources — weather and air quality from Open-Meteo, official advisory from the US State Department, disaster alerts from GDACS, health notices from the CDC, news from Google News. For an AI-synthesized briefing tailored to your specific trip, run a personalized assessment.
Official travel advisory
The US State Department does not issue advice for United States.
Disaster alerts
Active Disaster Alerts
-
Green earthquake (Magnitude 5.6M, Depth:1km) in United States 15/10/2026 11:07 UTC, 9 thousand in MMI>=III. GREEN · country-wide · 2026-10-15
On 10/15/2026 11:07:01 AM, an earthquake occurred in United States potentially affecting 9 thousand in MMI>=III. The earthquake had Magnitude 5.6M, Depth:1km.
-
Green flood alert in United States GREEN · country-wide · 2026-05-21
On 19/05/2026, a flood started in United States, lasting until 13/10/2026 (last update). The flood caused 29 deaths and 2292 displaced .
-
Drought is on going in Mexico, United States GREEN · country-wide · 2026-04-30
The Drought notification level is Green.
“~N km away” = event centroid within ~500 km of this location; “country-wide” = a national/regional alert that may not be near this specific city. Source: GDACS · fetched 2026-10-16 07:23:59 UTC
Natural hazard calendar & history
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 1 |
Most flood events within 100 km of Boston happened in December (1 of 1 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the United States travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the United States entry requirements.
Health notices
Health Notices for this Destination
-
Level 1 - Global Dengue WATCH · 2026-10-02
Dengue is a year-round risk in many parts of the world, with outbreaks commonly occurring every 2–5 years. Travelers to risk areas should prevent mosquito bites. Country List : Colombia, Vietnam, Maldives, Bolivia, Cambodia, Kenya, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Costa Rica, Mar
-
Level 2 - Global Polio ALERT · 2026-09-23
Some international destinations have circulating poliovirus. Before any international travel, make sure you are up to date on your polio vaccines. Country List : Afghanistan, Algeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, Nig
-
Level 1 - Global Measles WATCH · 2025-05-28
Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel. Country List : Afghan
Source: CDC Travelers’ Health · fetched 2026-10-15 19:24:31 UTC
1991–2020 climate normals
Seasonal risk & best time to visit Boston
The most weather-stable two-month window for Boston is May–June, when typical daily temperatures run from about 10°C to 24°C and monthly rain averages 93 mm.
Seasonal planning flags include hurricane season in June–November. These are climate patterns, not forecasts.
Climate normals are planning context, not a short-range forecast. Source: Open-Meteo Climate API. Refreshed Sep 10, 2026.
Calculate risk for these travel dates Compare seasonal windows →
Practical safety map
Safety infrastructure nearby in Boston
Boston has 10 hospitals, 10 police stations, 5 embassies, 10 pharmacies and 5 fire stations within 7 km of the city center in the latest OpenStreetMap extract.
The interactive map loads when it approaches the viewport.
Facility list (works without JavaScript)
- Hospital: Arbour Hospital
- Hospital: Beth Israel Lahey Health Primary Care
- Hospital: Boston Children's Hospital
- Hospital: Boston Medical Center
- Hospital: Brigham and Women's Hospital
- Hospital: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
- Hospital: Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center
- Hospital: Lemuel Shattuck Hospital
- Hospital: New England Baptist Hospital
- Hospital: VA Boston Healthcare System-Jamaica Plain
- Police: B-2 Boston Police Department
- Police: Berklee College Police
- Police: Boston Police Department Bureau of Special Operations
- Police: Boston Police Department District E-13
- Police: Boston Police Department Headquarters
- Police: Boston Police Department, Area D-4
- Police: Massachusetts State Police South Boston
- Police: Massachusetts State Police Troop H Community Action Team, Identification, & Detail Office
- Police: MBTA Transit Police Headquarters
- Police: Suffolk County Sheriff
- Embassy: Consulate General of Canada
- Embassy: Consulate General of Ireland
- Embassy: Consulate General of Peru
- Embassy: German Consulate General
- Embassy: Turkish Consulate
- Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: CVS Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Fenway Health Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Saigon Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Star Market Pharmacy
- Pharmacy: Walgreens
- Fire station: Boston Fire Department - Engine 21
- Fire station: Boston Fire Department - Engine 42
- Fire station: Boston Fire Department Engine 24, Ladder 23
- Fire station: Boston Fire Department Engine 42
- Fire station: Engine 14 and Ladder 4
Map and facility data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Locations can be incomplete or outdated; confirm before relying on them. See this destination’s numbers or browse emergency numbers by country.
Emergency numbers (United States)
| Police | 911 |
|---|---|
| Ambulance | 911 |
| Fire | 911 |
| General | 911 |
See nearby hospitals, police, pharmacies, embassies, and fire stations on the safety map.
Medical access
| Hospital access | high |
|---|---|
| Pharmacy access | high |
| Emergency response | high |
| English-speaking care | high |
| Evacuation complexity | low |
The United States features well-developed health infrastructure with high health ratings. Travelers can generally expect robust emergency response and broad access to medical facilities.
Common scam patterns
- Parking and Traffic Ticket Scams. There has been an uptick in fraudulent parking and traffic tickets issued to motorists and residents. Scammers are leaving fake tickets that require careful verification to avoid falling victim to financial fraud. Tip: Double-check any recent parking or traffic tickets to ensure they are legitimate before making payments.
Area notes
- North End. A popular neighborhood known for eating Italian fare.
Run a personalized assessment for Boston
Get a tailored briefing in ~15 seconds, with live weather, advisories, and recent news.
Calculate my trip riskScore history
| When | Score change | Tier | Reason / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 16, 2026 | 31 → 30 | moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| Oct 16, 2026 | 0 → 0 | unknown | Data update Grounded open data research & citations |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 43 → 31 | moderate | Data update scoring v2 |
| Sep 27, 2026 | 24 → 43 | low → moderate | Method change (scoring v2) scoring v2 |
| May 15, 2026 | — → 24 | low | Data update Editorial baseline 2026-05-14 (round 2: Numbeo + WHO + State Dept + GPI + EPI references) |
Every editorial change to Boston's composite score is logged here, with the source and reason for the change. Live data overlays (weather, advisories, disaster alerts, news) refresh continuously on their own cadences and are not recorded as score changes — see the Live conditions section above for current overlay state.
Been to Boston? Share your experience
+ Share your first-hand experience in Boston
Transparency & Sources
We document the baseline sources, coverage scope, and data inputs for this destination below.
Sources used
- SimpleMaps World Cities (CC BY 4.0): Coordinates, region, population for Boston
- Travel Risk Calculator score (method v2): Security, crime and scams, health, natural hazards and current alerts for Boston, from US, UK and Canadian advisories, INFORM, World Bank, UCDP, CDC, GDACS, USGS and OpenStreetMap
- Editorial baseline (Travel Risk Calculator): City-level threat scoring across 9 categories (crime, health, advisory, political, disaster, transport, environmental, digital security, money safety)
Live data overlays on this page refresh asynchronously on the source cadences shown above. Run an assessment to create a trip-specific briefing using your dates and traveler profile.
Baseline scope
- Category scores represent an analytical baseline, updated from official feeds and public records.
Coverage notes
- Transport-hub safety notes (airport, train stations).
Methodology · Full data-source registry · Report a correction
Popular travel-safety searches right now
Cities our visitors look up most frequently — useful for trip planning, comparison, or just curiosity.
PAGE LAST UPDATED:
Disclaimer
Travel Risk Calculator provides estimated travel-threat information for preparation purposes only. It does not replace official government advisories, medical advice, emergency alerts, immigration rules, insurance advice, police guidance, embassy information, or professional security consultation.