Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 4, 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
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
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.
| 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 |
Step-by-step road directions between Bowdoinham, ME and Brightwater, ME.
Start on Center Street
Continue on Backhill Street
At end of road, turn right onto River Road
Continue on Bay Road
Continue on ME 24
Turn right onto ME 24
Turn left onto ME 196; ME 24
Keep slight left at fork onto ME 24
Take the exit
Turn right onto State Road
Enter roundabout onto State Road
Continue on State Road
Turn left onto Berrys Mill Road
At end of road, turn right onto Campbells Pond Road
Continue on Campbells Pond Road
Continue on Meadowbrook Road
Turn right onto Brightwater Road
Turn straight onto The Boulevard
Arrive at destination
5 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.
At end of road, turn right onto River Road
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto ME 24 / Bypass Drive
Lane positioning matters here
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
Take the exit toward Park & Ride
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Enter roundabout onto State Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
Regular Gas
$4.14 one way
$8.27 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $4.53 | $9.06 |
| premium | $5.29 | $4.87 | $9.75 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $4.93 | $9.86 |
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, 2026-06-01.
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Bowdoinham on Wednesday
Local time
8:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
52°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Evening in Brightwater on Wednesday
Local time
8:10 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Mostly Clear
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
177 ft
Total Descent
192 ft
Highest Point
120 ft
~1.7 mi in
Elevation Range
101 ft
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
Park & Ride
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Brunswick, ME
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: 10:00-20:00
Visit websiteCafe
Early in the drive, right off the route
Brunswick, ME
Cuisine: coffee;middle_eastern
Hours: Mo 08:00-23:00; Tu off; We-Th 08:00-22:0...
Visit websiteCafe
Early in the drive, right off the route
Cuisine: breakfast
Hours: Tu-Sa 08:00-15:00
Visit websiteCafe
Early in the drive, right off the route
Cuisine: bubble_tea
Hours: Tu-Th 11:30-20:00; Fr-Sa 11:30-20:30; Su...
Visit websiteCafe
Early in the drive, right off the route
Cuisine: american;breakfast;sandwich
Hours: Fr-Mo 08:00-14:00
Visit websiteCafe
Early in the drive, right off the route
Brunswick, ME
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Hours: Mo-Fr 06:00-16:00; Sa-Su 07:00-15:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Bowdoinham, ME
Cuisine: american
Hours: Mo-Th 11:00-20:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-21:00, Su...
Visit websiteFast_food
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Brunswick, ME
Cuisine: chicken
Visit websiteFast_food
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Brunswick, ME
Cuisine: tex-mex
Hours: 10:30-22:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the start, right off the route
Bowdoinham, ME
Cuisine: regional
Restaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: pizza
Restaurant
Around the midpoint, right off the route
Cuisine: thai
Attraction
Early in the drive, right off the route
Topsham, ME
Attraction
Early in the drive, right off the route
Museum
Early in the drive, right off the route
Brunswick, ME
Hours: Tu-Sa 10:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00; Su-Mo of...
Visit websiteDistrict
Early in the drive, right off the route
Museum
Early in the drive, short detour
Brunswick, ME
Hours: Tu-Sa 10:00-17:00; Su 13:00-17:00; PH of...
Visit websiteMuseum
Later in the drive, short detour
ME
Visit websiteMemorial
Early in the drive, right off the route
Memorial
Early in the drive, right off the route
Motel
Early in the drive, short detour
Brunswick, ME
Visit websitePoints of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
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 with national parks nearby.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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