City of Portland, ME to Hudson, ME is 136.5 miles and takes about 3h 14m via Maine Turnpike and I-295, with a fuel budget near $22 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maine, moving north from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Expect a mostly highway experience for the majority of your trip. With only one recommended stop and a relatively short duration, this route is well-suited for a single-day excursion. It's a straightforward trip if you're looking to cover ground efficiently between these two points.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
68.3 miles from City of Portland, ME
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 39m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Maine Turnpike
53.6 mi
58m
I 295
46.3 mi
52m
Exeter Road
15.7 mi
27m
Hudson Road
6.2 mi
10m
Moosehead Trail
4.7 mi
7m
Portland - Peaks Island
2.5 mi
20m
Corinth Road
2.3 mi
4m
Newport Road
1.4 mi
2m
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 53.6 mi, about 58m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between City of Portland, ME and Hudson, ME.
1
Start on Seashore Avenue
0.6 mi·2 min·Seashore Avenue
2
At end of road, turn left onto Seashore Avenue
0.2 mi·45 sec·Seashore Avenue
3
Continue on Whitehead Street
351 ft·15 sec·Whitehead Street
4
Continue on Oakland Avenue
0.1 mi·31 sec·Oakland Avenue
5
At end of road, turn left onto Welch Street
0.2 mi·1 min·Welch Street
6
Continue on Portland - Peaks Island
2.5 mi·20 min·Portland - Peaks Island
7
Continue
187 ft·14 sec
8
Turn right onto Maine State Pier
74 ft·30 sec·Maine State Pier
9
Continue on Maine State Pier
0.1 mi·30 sec·Maine State Pier
10
Continue on US 1A
0.7 mi·1 min·Franklin Street
11
Take the ramp onto US 1A
0.3 mi·39 sec·US 1A
12
Merge onto I 295; US 1
46 mi·52 min·I 295; US 1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto I 95
54 mi·58 min·Maine Turnpike
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
Exit 157Toward ME 11, ME 100: Newport, Dexter
15
Keep slight left at fork
112 ft·6 sec
16
Turn left onto ME 11; ME 100
0.5 mi·1 min·Ox Bow Road
17
Enter roundabout onto ME 7; ME 11
120 ft·2 sec·Moosehead Trail
18
Continue on ME 7; ME 11
4.7 mi·6 min·Moosehead Trail
19
Continue on ME 7; ME 11
1.4 mi·2 min·Newport Road
20
Continue on ME 7; ME 11; ME 43
416 ft·8 sec·Dexter Road
21
Turn right onto ME 11; ME 43
7.4 mi·13 min·Exeter Road
22
Continue on ME 11; ME 43
1.1 mi·2 min·Exeter Road
23
Continue on ME 11; ME 43
7.2 mi·12 min·Exeter Road
24
At end of road, turn left onto ME 11; ME 15; ME 43
0.1 mi·13 sec·Main Street
25
Turn right onto ME 43
3.9 mi·6 min·Hudson Road
26
Continue on ME 43
2.3 mi·4 min·Corinth Road
27
At end of road, turn right onto ME 43; ME 221
2.3 mi·4 min·Hudson Road
28
Turn left onto ME 43
0.3 mi·30 sec·Old Town Road
29
Arrive at destination
ME 43
Trip Plan
Given the 3h 14m estimated drive time, leaving Portland in the morning will give you ample time to reach Hudson without feeling rushed. You're looking at a manageable drive with only one stop suggested, so pace yourself accordingly. Keep an eye on your fuel gauge, especially as you approach your destination, with an estimated cost of $22 for the trip. Since this is a drive that can easily be completed in a single day, you have flexibility in your departure time and can adjust your schedule as needed.
Morning Departure
An early start around 7-8 AM gets you there with plenty of daylight left.
Evening Departure
A late afternoon start means arriving after dark. Morning is better.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
Plan roughly 1 meaningful break for fuel, food, and rest.
The halfway point lands around 68.3 miles from City of Portland, ME, or about 1h 39m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 53.6 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 30 miles or 56m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 68.3 miles or 1h 39m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 2h 30m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Hudson, ME than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving City of Portland, ME so your first major turns are already loaded.
+
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
+
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from City of Portland, ME
This is one driving day of about 136.5 miles and 3h 14m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 30 miles from City of Portland, ME.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
Plan about 1 real break rather than only quick fuel stops.
The longest stretch is on Maine Turnpike for about 53.6 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.6 and 105.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.6 mi into trip|~2m in|Seashore Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto Seashore Avenue
Navigation decision point
6
1 mi into trip|~3m in|Welch Street
At end of road, turn left onto Welch Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
5
5 mi into trip|~28m in|I 295; US 1
Merge onto I 295; US 1
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
104.8 mi into trip|~2h 18m in
Take the exit toward ME 11, ME 100: Newport, Dexter
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 157
Toward ME 11, ME 100: Newport, Dexter
5
105.1 mi into trip|~2h 19m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$21.97 one way
$43.95 round trip
$4.09/gal25.4 MPG avg48 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.50
$24.18
$48.36
premium
$4.86
$26.14
$52.28
diesel
$5.61
$30.14
$60.27
Estimated Tolls: $3.21
Maine Turnpike
(53.6 mi)$3.21
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$22
Tolls
$3
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$50–$75
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 47.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
40.9
0
$14.33
$6.55
Efficient EV
34.1
0
$11.94
$5.46
EV Truck/SUV
54.6
0
$19.11
$8.74
Gas CO2
48 kg
EV CO2
16 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.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
City of Portland, ME
Late night
in City of Portland on Sunday
Local time
12:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°F
Mostly Cloudy
E 10 mph7% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Hudson, ME
Late night
in Hudson on Sunday
Local time
12:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
54°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
50°F
Augusta, ME
68 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
3h 14m 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.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Frances Perkins National Monument
National Monument
Known as the first woman to hold a presidential cabinet position and the “Woman behind the New Deal,” Frances Perkins championed many labor rights that Americans enjoy today, including safety standard...
17 mi from route
~42 min detour
Free
near mile 42.4
Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
You'll spend about 73% of this 136.5-mile drive on highways, specifically the Maine Turnpike and I-295. Your longest continuous stretch on these high-speed roads will be 53.6 miles. After the highway portions conclude, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of the trip. Expect a significant amount of exit and entry ramp activity common to major highway corridors.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
29 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 53.6 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and I 295. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.6 miles in near Seashore Avenue.
Driving Effort4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 3h 14m drive. You will face about 15 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.6 miles (Seashore Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Welch Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 5 miles (I 295; US 1): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from City of Portland, ME to Hudson, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Dexter along the way.
Dexter
104.8 mi in|~2h 18m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 3h 14m. Total distance: 136.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 53.6 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $3.21 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.
Yes — we found about 5 rest areas or service plazas within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 0.6 miles (Seashore Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Welch Street): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 5 miles (I 295; US 1): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Frances Perkins National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Possible but tiring. At 3.2 hours each way, an in-and-out day trip would put you behind the wheel for 6.5 hours — manageable with a long break at Hudson, ME, but most travelers stay overnight.
