Origin
Brunswick, ME
Night in Brunswick on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
46°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Brunswick, 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
36m
Distance
26.5 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Brunswick, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 26.5-mile drive from Brunswick to Portland, Maine, is easily manageable in about 36 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. Primarily utilizing I-295, with segments on Pleasant Street and US 1A, this route is heavily highway-focused at 82%. You can expect a low fuel cost of around $4 for this short hop. Given its brevity and straightforward nature, there's no need to split this journey, allowing you to maximize your time exploring Portland. The drive keeps you firmly within Maine, offering a quick transition between two points in the Northeast region.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 295 | 21.1 mi | 24m |
| Pleasant Street | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| US 1A | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Cumberland Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Cumberland Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Preble Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Mill Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| Maine Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 295
— 21.1 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Brunswick, ME and Portland, ME.
1
Start on Pleasant Street
160 ft
·
12 sec
·
Pleasant Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
2
Turn left onto ME 24 Business
445 ft
·
21 sec
·
Maine Street
3
Turn left onto Cumberland Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Cumberland Street
4
At end of road, turn left onto US 1
493 ft
·
12 sec
·
Mill Street
5
Turn right onto US 1
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Pleasant Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
7
Keep slight left at fork
1.6 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 295 South: Freeport, Portland
8
Merge onto I 295
21 mi
·
24 min
·
I 295
Use the straight lane.
9
Take the exit onto US 1A
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
US 1A
Exit 7
Toward US 1A
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Cumberland Avenue
Use the straight lane.
11
Turn left onto Preble Street
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Preble Street
12
Turn left onto Congress Street
156 ft
·
5 sec
·
Congress Street
13
Arrive at destination
Congress Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 2.6 and 26.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.6 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 295 South: Freeport, Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 295 South: Freeport, Portland
5
4.2 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
I 295
Merge onto I 295
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
7
25.3 mi into trip
|
~33m in
|
US 1A
Take the exit onto US 1A toward US 1A
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 7
Toward US 1A
5
26 mi into trip
|
~35m in
|
Cumberland Avenue
Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
26.5 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
Congress Street
Turn left onto Congress Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.27 one way
$8.53 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.69 | $9.39 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.07 | $10.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.85 | $11.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.78 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.70 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Night in Portland on Saturday
Local time
10:51 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°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
5 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
36m 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 predominantly highway experience, with 82% of the 26.5 miles on faster roads like I-295. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 21.1 miles on I-295, allowing for a consistent pace. While the majority of the drive is on the interstate, you'll transition onto Pleasant Street and US 1A, offering a slight change in scenery and speed as you approach your destination. This route is designed for efficiency rather than winding backroads.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.1 mi on I 295.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 295 and Pleasant Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.6 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 12 decision points packed into just 26.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.2 miles (I 295): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (US 1A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
198 ft
18 ft
Total Climb
264 ft
Total Descent
251 ft
Highest Point
198 ft
~5.7 mi in
Elevation Range
180 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 26.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 21.1 miles on I 295. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 2.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.2 miles (I 295): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 25.3 miles (US 1A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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, EIA for fuel prices, and USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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