Origin
Bowdoinham, ME
Late night in Bowdoinham on Sunday
Local time
3:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
36°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bowdoinham, ME to Brightwater, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
23.4 mi
38 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bowdoinham, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Brightwater, ME
Vladislav Nahorny
Trip Overview
This short, 23.4-mile drive from Bowdoinham to Brightwater in Maine is easily manageable as a day trip, taking approximately 49 minutes to complete. You'll primarily be navigating local roads, with about 29% of the journey on highways. The estimated fuel cost for this trip is around $4, making it an economical choice. Given the short distance and duration, you can be quite flexible with your departure time. This route stays within the Northeast region, offering a straightforward local exploration within Maine.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| ME 24 | 6.8 mi | 9m |
| Middlesex Road | 5 mi | 8m |
| Berrys Mill Road | 3.5 mi | 8m |
| Meadowbrook Road | 2.2 mi | 8m |
| Bay Road | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Campbells Pond Road | 1.3 mi | 3m |
| Brightwater Road | 0.9 mi | 3m |
| Brunswick-Topsham Bypass | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
ME 24
— 6.8 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bowdoinham, ME and Brightwater, ME.
1
Start on Center Street
76 ft
·
2 sec
·
Center Street
2
Continue on Backhill Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Backhill Street
3
At end of road, turn right onto River Road
406 ft
·
12 sec
·
River Road
4
Continue on Bay Road
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
Bay Road
5
Continue on ME 24
5.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Middlesex Road
6
Turn right onto ME 24
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Bypass Drive
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto ME 196; ME 24
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Brunswick-Topsham Bypass
8
Keep slight left at fork onto ME 24
6.8 mi
·
9 min
·
ME 24
Toward US 1 North: Cooks Corner, Bath
9
Take the exit
335 ft
·
8 sec
Toward Park & Ride
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn right onto State Road
0.2 mi
·
15 sec
·
State Road
11
Enter roundabout onto State Road
93 ft
·
1 sec
·
State Road
12
Continue on State Road
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
State Road
13
Turn left onto Berrys Mill Road
3.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Berrys Mill Road
14
At end of road, turn right onto Campbells Pond Road
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Campbells Pond Road
15
Continue on Campbells Pond Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Campbells Pond Road
16
Continue on Meadowbrook Road
2.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Meadowbrook Road
17
Turn right onto Brightwater Road
0.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Brightwater Road
18
Turn straight onto The Boulevard
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
The Boulevard
19
Arrive at destination
The Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 14.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
River Road
At end of road, turn right onto River Road
Navigation decision point
5
7.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
ME 24 / Bypass Drive
Turn right onto ME 24 / Bypass Drive
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
7.9 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
ME 24
Keep slight left at fork onto ME 24 toward US 1 North: Cooks Corner, Bath
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 1 North: Cooks Corner, Bath
6
14.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward Park & Ride
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Park & Ride
5
14.9 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
State Road
Enter roundabout onto State Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.77 one way
$7.53 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.14 | $8.29 |
| premium | $4.86 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.17 | $10.33 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7 | 0 | $2.46 | $1.12 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.05 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.28 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Brightwater, ME
Late night in Brightwater on Sunday
Local time
3:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°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
17 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
49m 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 turn-heavy local drive for this trip. With only 29% of the route on highways, you'll be spending most of your time on roads like ME 24, Middlesex Road, and Berrys Mill Road. The longest stretch without a significant turn or change in direction is 6.8 miles on ME 24. This means you'll be actively engaged with steering and navigating as you move through local terrain. The character of the drive is less about high-speed cruising and more about experiencing the nuances of the local road network.
Only 29% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.8 mi on ME 24.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near River Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 23.4 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (River Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (ME 24 / Bypass Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.9 miles (ME 24): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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.
Between Bowdoinham, ME and Brightwater, ME, road signs point toward Bath and Park & Ride.
Bath
7.9 mi in
|
~14m
|
via ME 24
Park & Ride
14.7 mi in
|
~23m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 23.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (29%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.8 miles on ME 24. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.1 miles (River Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (ME 24 / Bypass Drive): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.9 miles (ME 24): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Brightwater, 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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