Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from City of Portland, ME to Topsham, ME

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h

Distance

30.9 mi

50 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 56m ★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown City of Portland, ME, ME

City of Portland, ME

Brett Sayles

Downtown Topsham, ME, ME

Topsham, ME

PhotoShoot Studio | Candid, Birthday Pre Wedding, Baby, Maternity & Child Photographer in Pune Ps Studio

Trip Overview

The drive from City of Portland, ME to Topsham, ME covers 30.9 miles and takes about 1h behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 295, Portland - Peaks Island, Seashore Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.6 miles on I 295. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.15 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 295 24.6 mi 28m
Portland - Peaks Island 2.5 mi 20m
Seashore Avenue 0.8 mi 3m
Mallett Drive 0.8 mi 2m
Franklin Street 0.7 mi 1m
US 1A 0.3 mi <1m
Lewiston Road 0.3 mi <1m
Welch Street 0.2 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 295 — 24.6 mi, about 28m

Traffic on I-295

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 62 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~2,375 veh/hr typical · worst 2,926

Quietest

2 AM

~84 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

28.3×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between City of Portland, ME and Topsham, 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

25 mi · 28 min · I 295; US 1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Exit 31 Toward ME 196: Topsham, Lisbon, Bates College Use the straight / right lanes.
14

Turn right onto ME 196

0.3 mi · 42 sec · Lewiston Road
Use the right lane.
15

Turn right onto Mallett Drive

0.8 mi · 2 min · Mallett Drive
Use the straight / right lanes.
16

At end of road, turn right onto Winter Street

47 ft · 1 sec · Winter Street
17

Arrive at destination

Winter Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Falmouth Foreside, ME, ME

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Falmouth Foreside, ME

15 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

Brunswick, ME

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 30.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Yarmouth, ME

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15.4 miles from City of Portland, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 1 and 30.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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.
8
29.6 mi into trip | ~56m in

Take the exit toward ME 196: Topsham, Lisbon, Bates College

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 31 Toward ME 196: Topsham, Lisbon, Bates College
5
29.8 mi into trip | ~57m in | ME 196 / Lewiston Road

Turn right onto ME 196 / Lewiston Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane.
5
30.1 mi into trip | ~57m in | Mallett Drive

Turn right onto Mallett Drive

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.15 one way

$10.29 round trip

$4.23/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.70 $5.71 $11.42
premium $5.07 $6.16 $12.33
diesel $5.60 $6.81 $13.62

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 9.3 0 $3.24 $1.48
Efficient EV 7.7 0 $2.70 $1.24
EV Truck/SUV 12.4 0 $4.33 $1.98

Gas CO2

11 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (64% 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 Aug 28, 2026

Origin

City of Portland, ME

Late night in City of Portland on Friday

Local time

2:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

69°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 10 mph 32% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued August 28 at 4:32PM EDT until August 28 at 5:15PM EDT by NWS Caribou ME

Destination

Topsham, ME

Late night in Topsham on Friday

Local time

2:48 AM

EDT

Current temp

80°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

S 10 mph 45% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued August 28 at 4:32PM EDT until August 28 at 5:15PM EDT by NWS Caribou ME

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

11 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 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?

30.9 mi in 1h, mostly highway — 24.6 mi of that is on I 295.

81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.6 mi on I 295.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 295 and Portland - Peaks Island. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1 miles in near Welch Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 30.9 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 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; at 29.6 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

236 ft -5 ft

Total Climb

384 ft

Total Descent

269 ft

Highest Point

236 ft

~24.3 mi in

Elevation Range

242 ft

About the Cities

Arriving in Topsham, ME

Full guide →

Pay a visit to picturesque Brunswick, Maine, and you'll discover something special, something greater than the sum of its parts. It's a classic New England charmer to be sure. Surrounded by pine forests and nestled into a crook of the Androscoggin River, natural beauty is in no short supply. History buffs will appreciate Bowdoin College and her several museums of note; while literature mavens will recognize Brunswick as the setting where Harriet Beecher Stowe penned Uncle Tom's Cabin, a 19th century clarion call for America's abolitionist movement. Today, several talented chefs have chosen to call this town of 22,000 (2020) home. They've taken the areas already burgeoning food scene and iterated on it, serving up some truly extraordinary cuisine. When you combine the gastronomic offerings, retail options, and a proximity to nature—well, it just adds up to package that's hard to beat.

Top landmarks

  • • Topsham Historic District — historic district in Topsham, Maine, United States
  • • Androscoggin Swinging Bridge — pedestrian suspension bridge spanning the Androscoggin River in Maine

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. Total distance: 30.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 24.6 miles on I 295. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 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; at 29.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Frances Perkins National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Topsham, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

More from City of Portland, ME

Madawaska, ME 307.4 mi · 6h 19m Limestone, ME 305.7 mi · 6h 14m Fort Fairfield, ME 295.4 mi · 5h 58m Houlton, ME 250.9 mi · 4h 50m Lubec, ME 231.5 mi · 5h 28m Calais, ME 227.9 mi · 4h 59m

More trips to Topsham, ME

Bangor, ME 104.8 mi Waterville, ME 50.4 mi
Escape planner: City of Portland, ME Scenic drives in ME

Explore more options from City of Portland, ME or browse trips ending in Topsham, ME.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse ME road trips.