Calais, ME Road Trips
Plan drives from Calais, ME with practical route pages for distance, drive time, fuel cost, road character, and places to stop along the way.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Trip Routes
1
Longest Drive
240.8 mi
Biddeford, ME
Quickest Drive
4h 55m
Biddeford, ME
Plan Around Calais, ME
Popular Incoming Routes
Useful if Calais, ME is the arrival point and you want the strongest routes into the city first.
Calais, ME by the Numbers
Recent demographic snapshot from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Population
3,087
Median Income
$48,654
Median Home Value
$111,800
Median Age
43.8
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-year (public domain). See our methodology for details.
Calais, ME at a Glance
Founded
1779
Elevation
43 ft
Area
40 mi²
Notable People from Calais, ME
A sampling of people born in Calais, ME.
Andrea Gibson
1975–2025
American poet and activist (1975–2025)
Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford
1835–1921
American author
Roger Lyndon
1917–1988
mathematician (1917–1988)
Joseph Young Bergen
1851–1917
American botanist (1851-1917)
Frederick A. Pike
1816–1886
American politician (1816-1886)
Landmarks & Historic Sites
Attractions and heritage-registered places located in Calais, ME.
Calais Observatory
Gilmore House
listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Washington County, Maine
Calais Historic District
historic district in Maine, United States
City data from Wikidata (Q612696), available under CC0. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under their respective licenses. See our methodology for details.
Traveler Guide to Calais, ME
Calais (pronounced "Cal' lus") is a coastal town located in the Down East region of Maine at the Canadian border across from the town of St. Stephen, one of Maine's busiest border crossings. Calais and St. Stephen have a close relationship, celebrated with a multiple-day International Festival each year. A parade crosses Ferry Point Bridge, with the mayors of both communities shaking hands across the border.
1 Saint Croix Island International Historic Site, Route 1 (south of downtown), ☏ +1 207 288-3338, fax: +1 207 288-8813. Daily dawn to dusk, but displays are covered in winter. Saint Croix Island International Historic Site marks the first presence by Europeans on mainland northern North America and is part of the United States National Park System. It is composed of a mainland site and 6.5-acre Saint Croix Island. Travel to the island is discouraged due to its fragile ecosystem. The mainland site includes an outdoor interpretive shelter, picnic tables, a pit toilet, and an unimproved boat launch. A short, accessible interpretive trail features bronze figures of the French and Passamaquoddy, as well as displays discussing historical events and the interaction of the two cultures. Free. Holmes House, 527 Main St. Built 1804. 2 Whitlock's Mill Light. Three miles south of Calais. Northernmost lighthouse in the U.S. and still a working light. While the light cannot be visited, it can be seen from the St. Croix View Rest Area on U.S. Highway 1. (updated Jan 2026) 3 Dr. Job Holmes Cottage & Museum. (updated Jan 2026) 4 Calais Free Library, 9 Union St. (updated Jan 2026)
St. Croix Country Club Golf Course, Route 1, ☏ +1 207 454-8875. Public, nine holes. 5534 yards, par 70, slope 107, rating 65.2. International Festival. Early August week-long festival with cross-border neighbor town, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, Canada.
Calais Motor Inn, 293 Main St, ☏ +1 207 454-7111. International Motel, 276 Main St, ☏ +1 207 454-7515.
The direct route from Bangor, ME is via Route 9, locally called "The Airline." West Bus. Bus service from Bangor. (updated Jul 2024) The closest airport is Bangor International Airport (BGR IATA).
Travel tips adapted from Calais (Maine) on Wikivoyage, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Content summarized; visit the source for the full article. See our methodology for how we use it.
Trips to Calais, ME
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