Origin
Auburn, ME
Late night in Auburn on Sunday
Local time
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Auburn, 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
44m
Distance
34.5 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Auburn, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Auburn, ME to Portland, ME is 34.5 miles and takes about 44m via Maine Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, highway-focused drive connecting two locations within the Northeast region, both in Maine. It's a short trip, making it ideal for a quick journey or as part of a larger New England adventure. You'll find it to be a convenient route for local travel between these two points, offering a practical way to get from one city to the other without a significant time commitment.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 22.3 mi | 23m |
| Washington Street | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Forest Avenue | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Auburn Street | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Allen Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Minot Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Gray Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Portland Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 22.3 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Auburn, ME and Portland, ME.
1
Start on US 202; ME 4; ME 11; ME 100
40 ft
·
7 sec
·
Minot Avenue
2
Continue on US 202; ME 4; ME 11; ME 100
0.7 mi
·
59 sec
·
Minot Avenue
3
Turn slight left onto US 202; ME 4; ME 100
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Washington Street
4
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
6
Merge onto I 95
7.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Maine Turnpike
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
15 mi
·
15 min
·
Maine Turnpike
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 53
Toward ME 26, ME 100: West Falmouth
Use the slight right lane.
9
Keep slight right at fork
151 ft
·
3 sec
10
Turn straight onto ME 26; ME 100
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Gray Road
11
Continue on ME 26; ME 100
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Auburn Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
12
Turn right onto ME 100
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Allen Avenue
13
Turn left onto US 302; ME 100
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Forest Avenue
14
Turn left onto Portland Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Portland Street
15
At end of road, turn right onto Preble Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Preble Street
16
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
156 ft
·
5 sec
·
Congress Street
17
Arrive at destination
Congress Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 115 decision points cluster between mile 4.9 and 34.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
4.9 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
13.1 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 95 / Maine Turnpike
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95 / Maine Turnpike
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
8
27.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward ME 26, ME 100: West Falmouth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 53
Toward ME 26, ME 100: West Falmouth
5
34.3 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
Preble Street
At end of road, turn right onto Preble Street
Navigation decision point
6
34.4 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
Congress Street
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.55 one way
$11.11 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.11 | $12.22 |
| premium | $4.86 | $6.61 | $13.21 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.62 | $15.23 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.33
Maine Turnpike
(22.3 mi)
$1.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 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 | 10.4 | 0 | $3.62 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.83 | $2.21 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
12:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Patchy Fog
NE 5 mph
0% chance
Live forecast
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
6 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
44m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
This route is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 65% of it on major highways like the Maine Turnpike. Expect a relatively fast-paced journey, especially during the longest stretch of 22.3 miles on the Maine Turnpike. While primarily highway, you will also navigate sections of Washington Street and Forest Avenue, which may offer a slight change of pace as you approach your destination. The overall feel is one of efficient travel, prioritizing directness over scenic detours.
65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.3 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and Washington Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.9 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 34.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 44m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.1 miles (I 95 / Maine Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 27.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 34.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.3 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.33 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 4.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 13.1 miles (I 95 / Maine Turnpike): Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 27.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Portland, ME
More trips to Portland, ME
Explore more options from Auburn, ME or browse trips ending in Portland, ME.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse ME road trips.