Origin
Canton, ME
Late night in Canton on Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Canton, ME to Portland, 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
1h 16m
Distance
60.4 mi
97 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 10m
★
6 AM
1h 16m
8 AM
1h 28m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 19m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Canton, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Traveling from Canton to Portland is a straightforward 60.4-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 16 minutes to complete. This trip serves as an easy day excursion, allowing you to reach the coast from the interior of the state without needing an overnight stay. You will navigate a combination of local roads like Auburn Road and Washington Street before transitioning onto the Maine Turnpike. With an estimated fuel cost of only $10, it is an affordable way to transition between the quiet charm of Canton and the bustling atmosphere of Portland. Since both locations are situated within the Northeast, you will experience a consistent regional feel throughout the drive. Whether you are heading out for a quick getaway or a necessary commute, this route offers a practical and efficient connection.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 22.3 mi | 23m |
| Auburn Road | 12.7 mi | 14m |
| Washington Street | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Turner Road | 3.1 mi | 3m |
| Turner Street | 3 mi | 4m |
| Center Street | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Forest Avenue | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Canton Road | 2.6 mi | 3m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 22.3 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Canton, ME and Portland, ME.
1
Start on ME 108
277 ft
·
4 sec
·
Pleasant Street
2
Continue on ME 108
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Turner Street
3
Continue on Turner Road
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Turner Road
4
Continue on ME 108
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Canton Road
5
Merge onto ME 4
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Federal Road
6
Continue on ME 4
13 mi
·
14 min
·
Auburn Road
7
Continue on ME 4
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Turner Road
8
Continue on ME 4
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Center Street
9
Keep slight right at fork onto ME 4
0.4 mi
·
30 sec
·
Union Street Bypass
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Continue on US 202; ME 4; ME 11; ME 100
0.7 mi
·
50 sec
·
Minot Avenue
11
Turn slight left onto US 202; ME 4; ME 100
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Washington Street
12
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
13
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
14
Merge onto I 95
7.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Maine Turnpike
15
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
15 mi
·
15 min
·
Maine Turnpike
16
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 53
Toward ME 26, ME 100: West Falmouth
Use the slight right lane.
17
Keep slight right at fork
151 ft
·
3 sec
18
Turn straight onto ME 26; ME 100
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Gray Road
19
Continue on ME 26; ME 100
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Auburn Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
20
Turn right onto ME 100
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Allen Avenue
21
Turn left onto US 302; ME 100
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Forest Avenue
22
Turn left onto Portland Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Portland Street
23
At end of road, turn right onto Preble Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Preble Street
24
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
156 ft
·
5 sec
·
Congress Street
25
Arrive at destination
Congress Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
30 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 30.2 miles from Canton, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 5.8 and 60.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
5.8 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
ME 4 / Federal Road
Merge onto ME 4 / Federal Road
Merge point - match speed before joining
6
25.6 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
ME 4 / Union Street Bypass
Keep slight right at fork onto ME 4 / Union Street Bypass
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
8
53.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m 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
60.2 mi into trip
|
~1h 15m in
|
Preble Street
At end of road, turn right onto Preble Street
Navigation decision point
6
60.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
|
Congress Street
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.72 one way
$19.45 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $10.70 | $21.40 |
| premium | $4.86 | $11.57 | $23.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.34 | $26.67 |
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
$10
Tolls
$1
Total
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.34 | $2.90 |
| Efficient EV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.28 | $2.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 24.2 | 0 | $8.46 | $3.87 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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 Tuesday
Local time
4:53 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Auburn, ME
30 mi in
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
9 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
1h 16m 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 mixed driving experience as you transition from rural local roads to the high-speed Maine Turnpike. The route is comprised of 37% highway driving, which provides a balance between steady cruising and navigating smaller thoroughfares. You will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch on the Turnpike, covering 22.3 miles of more controlled travel. As you move away from the smaller roads and onto the major highway, the pace of the drive shifts noticeably. Staying alert is key as you manage the transition from the slower, winding sections into the more consistent flow of the highway portion of your trip.
37% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 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?
9/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.8 miles in near ME 4 / Federal Road.
Driving Effort
9/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 60.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 5.8 miles (ME 4 / Federal Road): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 25.6 miles (ME 4 / Union Street Bypass): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 53.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Arriving in Portland, ME
Full guide →Portland is on a peninsula in Casco Bay on the Southern Maine coast approximately 100 miles (161 km) north of Boston, Massachusetts. It has more than 65,000 inhabitants, making it the largest city in Maine. Portland is a small seaside city with a high concentration of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries, tours and many things to see and do. Many people commute to Portland to work, and the city's population significantly increases in the summertime.
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 1h 16m. Total distance: 60.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
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 5.8 miles (ME 4 / Federal Road): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 25.6 miles (ME 4 / Union Street Bypass): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 53.7 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.
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