Origin
Canton, ME
Late night in Canton on Sunday
Local time
12:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
35°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Canton, ME to South 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
1h 20m
Distance
62.9 mi
101 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 14m
★
6 AM
1h 20m
8 AM
1h 33m
10 AM
1h 25m
12 PM
1h 23m
3 PM
1h 25m
5 PM
1h 32m
8 PM
1h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Canton, ME
Wikimedia Commons
South Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to head from Canton to South Portland, you can expect a manageable 62.9-mile trip that typically takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. This route works perfectly as a straightforward day trip, meaning you won't need to worry about booking an overnight stay. You will navigate using a combination of the Maine Turnpike, Auburn Road, and Washington Street. Budgeting roughly $10 for fuel should be sufficient to cover the distance in a standard vehicle. Since both locations are situated within the Northeast region, you will remain in a familiar environment throughout the journey. It is a practical, efficient connection that gets you from the interior to the coast without unnecessary complexity.
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 |
| Canton Road | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Forest Avenue | 2.3 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 22.3 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Canton, ME and South 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
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Forest Avenue
22
Turn slight right
438 ft
·
16 sec
23
Keep slight right at fork
177 ft
·
7 sec
24
Turn slight right onto State Street
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
State Street
25
Continue on ME 77
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Casco Bay Bridge
26
Continue on ME 77
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Broadway
27
Turn sharp right onto Pine Street
60 ft
·
2 sec
·
Pine Street
28
Arrive at destination
Pine Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.4 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 5.8 and 62.9 — 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
59.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 14m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
5
62.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 20m in
|
Pine Street
Turn sharp right onto Pine Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.13 one way
$20.25 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $11.14 | $22.28 |
| premium | $4.86 | $12.05 | $24.09 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.89 | $27.78 |
Estimated Tolls: $8.33
Bay Bridge
$7.00
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
$8
Total
$18
Estimated CO2 emission: 22 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.9 | 0 | $6.60 | $3.02 |
| Efficient EV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.50 | $2.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.2 | 0 | $8.81 | $4.03 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
South Portland, ME
Late night in South Portland on Sunday
Local time
12:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
40°F
Light Rain
S 10 to 15 mph
85% chance
Live forecast
50°F
Auburn, ME
31 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
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
1h 20m on the road
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.
What kind of drive is this?
Expect a mixed driving experience that transitions from local roads to more structured highway travel. While about 35% of your journey takes place on highways, the route balances these faster segments with slower-paced local stretches. You will spend your longest uninterrupted period on the Maine Turnpike, covering a 22.3-mile stretch before transitioning back to other roads. Because the drive is relatively short, the character of the road changes quickly as you move away from the Canton area toward the more populated South Portland vicinity. You will find that the rhythm of the drive shifts from the winding nature of local streets to the predictable flow of the turnpike.
35% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
28 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 62.9 miles you will encounter 12 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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
437 ft
25 ft
Total Climb
226 ft
Total Descent
593 ft
Highest Point
437 ft
~4.5 mi in
Elevation Range
412 ft
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 20m. Total distance: 62.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 20m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (35%). 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 $8.33 in tolls one way, starting with Bay Bridge. 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 South 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 South 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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