Origin
Acton, ME
Late night in Acton on Sunday
Local time
2:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Acton, ME to Portland, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
59m
Distance
42.3 mi
68 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 55m
★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Acton, ME
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Portland, ME
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Trip Overview
This straightforward 42.3-mile drive from Acton, ME to Portland, ME takes approximately 59 minutes and is easily manageable as a single-day trip. You'll be spending about half your time on highways, with the Maine Turnpike and I-295 being key parts of the journey. The estimated fuel cost for this Northeast to Northeast stretch is around $7, making it a budget-friendly option. Given its short duration and mixed driving profile, this route offers a convenient way to travel between these two Maine locations without needing an overnight stop. It's a practical choice for a quick commute or an easy addition to a larger regional exploration.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 12.2 mi | 13m |
| Alfred Road | 8.2 mi | 9m |
| I 295 | 5.2 mi | 7m |
| State Route 109 | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Sanford Road | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 2.3 mi | 5m |
| Emery Mills Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Biddeford Road | 1.8 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 12.2 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Acton, ME and Portland, ME.
1
Start on Sam Page Road
47 ft
·
5 sec
·
Sam Page Road
2
Turn right onto H Road
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
H Road
3
Turn left onto ME 109
3.4 mi
·
5 min
·
State Route 109
4
Continue on ME 11; ME 109
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Emery Mills Road
5
Continue on ME 11; ME 109
2.3 mi
·
5 min
·
Main Street
6
Turn sharp left onto ME 224
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Bridge Street
7
Continue on ME 224
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Pleasant Street
8
Continue on ME 224
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Shaws Ridge Road
9
Turn left onto US 202; ME 4A
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Sanford Road
10
Continue on ME 111
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Biddeford Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
11
Continue on ME 111
8.2 mi
·
9 min
·
Alfred Road
12
Continue on ME 111
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Alfred Street
13
Take the ramp
0.1 mi
·
1 min
Use the straight / left lanes.
14
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 95 North Toll: Portland, Augusta
15
Merge onto I 95
12 mi
·
13 min
·
Maine Turnpike
16
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
5.2 mi
·
7 min
·
I 295
Exit 44
Toward Downtown Portland
Use the slight right lane.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 6A
Toward ME 100 South
18
Keep slight left at fork
156 ft
·
7 sec
19
Continue on ME 100
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Forest Avenue
20
Turn left onto Portland Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Portland Street
21
At end of road, turn right onto Preble Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Preble Street
22
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
156 ft
·
5 sec
·
Congress Street
23
Arrive at destination
Congress Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
21 mi into the route
Best for: Lunch, fuel, and a longer reset
This sits close to the middle of the route, so it works well for the longest stop of the day.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Acton, ME, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 135 decision points cluster between mile 7.7 and 42.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
7.7 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
ME 224 / Bridge Street
Turn sharp left onto ME 224 / Bridge Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
7
23.8 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North Toll: Portland, Augusta
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North Toll: Portland, Augusta
8
36.2 mi into trip
|
~50m in
|
I 295
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 toward Downtown Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 44
Toward Downtown Portland
5
41.4 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Take the exit toward ME 100 South
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 6A
Toward ME 100 South
6
42.3 mi into trip
|
~59m in
|
Congress Street
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.81 one way
$13.62 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $7.49 | $14.98 |
| premium | $4.86 | $8.10 | $16.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.34 | $18.68 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.73
Maine Turnpike
(12.2 mi)
$0.73
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.44 | $2.03 |
| Efficient EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.70 | $1.69 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.9 | 0 | $5.92 | $2.71 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (67% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Portland, ME
Late night in Portland on Sunday
Local time
2:03 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
36°F
Alfred, ME
21 mi in
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
16 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
59m on the road
Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed driving experience on this route, with 49% of it on highways. Your longest uninterrupted stretch will be 12.2 miles along the Maine Turnpike, offering a chance to settle into a steady pace. The drive transitions between faster highway sections and more local road segments as you approach your destination. This varied profile means you won't be stuck in a monotonous interstate grind, but rather experience a dynamic shift in your surroundings as you progress from Acton towards Portland.
49% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.2 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.7 miles in near ME 224 / Bridge Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 42.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 59m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.7 miles (ME 224 / Bridge Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 23.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.2 miles (I 295): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Acton, ME to Portland, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Augusta along the way.
Augusta
23.8 mi in
|
~36m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 59m. Total distance: 42.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (49%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.2 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.73 in tolls one way, starting with Maine Turnpike. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Portland, ME before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
Mostly yes along the main roads, but rural stretches through ME can have sparse or no coverage. Before you leave, download offline Google Maps or Apple Maps for the route, and consider downloading music or podcasts instead of streaming. If you depend on data for navigation, keep a paper backup of the turn-by-turn directions.
The main spots that need attention: at 7.7 miles (ME 224 / Bridge Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 23.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.2 miles (I 295): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Portland, ME before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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