Origin
Belfast, ME
Late night in Belfast on Tuesday
Local time
5:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
43°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Belfast, ME to Bangor, ME
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
37.4 mi
60 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Belfast, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Bangor, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Belfast to Bangor is 37.4 miles and takes about 54 minutes via River Road and Main Streets, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays entirely within Maine, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a primarily surface road experience, making it a straightforward trip for a quick transfer or a scenic introduction to the area. You won't need an overnight stay, and the minimal driving time allows for flexibility in your schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| River Road | 15.2 mi | 22m |
| West Main Street | 7 mi | 8m |
| East Main Street | 6.3 mi | 7m |
| Searsport Avenue | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| South Main Street | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| US Highway 1 | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| High Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
River Road
— 15.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Belfast, ME and Bangor, ME.
1
Start on High Street
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
High Street
2
Take the ramp
454 ft
·
12 sec
3
Merge onto US 1; ME 3
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Route 1
4
Continue on US 1; ME 3
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Searsport Avenue
Use the left lane.
5
Continue on US 1; ME 3
7.0 mi
·
8 min
·
West Main Street
6
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1; ME 3
6.3 mi
·
7 min
·
East Main Street
7
Continue on US 1; ME 3
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
US Highway 1
8
Continue on US 1; ME 3
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Route 1
9
At end of road, turn left onto ME 15
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
10
Continue on ME 15
15 mi
·
22 min
·
River Road
11
Continue on South Main Street
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
South Main Street
12
Turn left onto US 1A; ME 9 Business
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Wilson Street
13
Continue on US 1A; ME 9 Business
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Union Street
14
Turn slight left onto US 2; ME 100
73 ft
·
2 sec
·
Hammond Street
15
Arrive at destination
US 2; ME 100
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 37 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.7 miles from Belfast, 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 55 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 36.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
3
0.6 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp
Navigation decision point
4
0.7 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 1; ME 3 / Route 1
Merge onto US 1; ME 3 / Route 1
Merge point - match speed before joining
4
10.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
US 1; ME 3 / East Main Street
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1; ME 3 / East Main Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
4
18.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
ME 15 / Main Street
At end of road, turn left onto ME 15 / Main Street
Navigation decision point
3
36.6 mi into trip
|
~53m in
|
US 1A; ME 9 Business / Wilson Street
Turn left onto US 1A; ME 9 Business / Wilson Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.02 one way
$12.04 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.62 | $13.25 |
| premium | $4.86 | $7.16 | $14.32 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.26 | $16.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.93 | $1.80 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.27 | $1.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15 | 0 | $5.24 | $2.39 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Bangor, ME
Late night in Bangor on Tuesday
Local time
5:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
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
14 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
54m 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?
This trip is mostly surface roads, with only about a 4% highway share. You'll encounter 15.2 miles on River Road, which is the longest continuous stretch before transitioning to local streets like West Main Street and East Main Street. Expect a more local feel with potential for slower speeds and more intersections as you approach your destination.
Only 4% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.2 mi on River Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 54m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 1; ME 3 / Route 1): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 10.6 miles (US 1; ME 3 / East Main Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
About the Cities
Starting in Belfast, ME
Full guide →Belfast is a city in Waldo County, in the Mid Coast region of Maine.
Arriving in Bangor, ME
Full guide →Bangor is a small city of 32,000 people (2019) in the Highlands region of Maine. Bangor is the third-largest city in the state and the retail, cultural and service center for central, eastern and northern Maine. It is a good base for exploring Aroostook County, Down East & Acadia, the Maine Highlands and Maine’s Mid-Coast.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 37.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (4%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.2 miles on River Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 0.6 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (US 1; ME 3 / Route 1): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 10.6 miles (US 1; ME 3 / East Main Street): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bangor, 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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