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Trip from Dexter, ME to Hampden, ME

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

53m

Distance

40.3 mi

65 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 49m ★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m

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

town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States

Dexter, ME

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Hampden, ME, ME

Hampden, ME

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Dexter, ME to Hampden, ME is 40.3 miles and takes about 53 minutes via I 95, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays entirely within the Northeast region and the state of Maine, making it a straightforward local journey. You'll experience a mixed drive that's mostly highway, so it's a quick and efficient way to get from point A to point B. Consider this route for a simple, hassle-free drive when you need to cover a moderate distance without a significant time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 22.3 mi 23m
Dexter Road 5.9 mi 8m
Moosehead Trail 4.7 mi 6m
Coldbrook Road 1.4 mi 2m
Newport Road 1.4 mi 2m
Corinna Road 1.2 mi 1m
Spring Street 1 mi 1m
US 202 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 22.3 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dexter, ME and Hampden, ME.

1

Start on ME 7

1.0 mi · 1 min · Spring Street
2

Continue on ME 7

1.2 mi · 1 min · Corinna Road
3

Continue on ME 7

5.9 mi · 8 min · Dexter Road
4

Continue on ME 7; ME 11

1.4 mi · 2 min · Newport Road
5

Continue on ME 7; ME 11

4.7 mi · 6 min · Moosehead Trail
6

Enter roundabout onto Ox Bow Road

142 ft · 2 sec · Ox Bow Road
7

Continue on Ox Bow Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Ox Bow Road
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 36 sec
9

Merge onto I 95

22 mi · 23 min · I 95
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 56 sec
Exit 180 Toward Cold Brook Road, Hermon, Hampden
11

Turn right onto Coldbrook Road

1.4 mi · 2 min · Coldbrook Road
12

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 15 sec
13

Merge onto US 202; ME 9

0.7 mi · 1 min · US 202; ME 9
14

Turn left onto ME 9 Business

0.5 mi · 1 min · Western Avenue
15

Arrive at destination

Canoe Club Road

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Newport, ME, ME

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Newport, ME

20 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

Orrington, ME

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Newport, ME

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.1 miles from Dexter, 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 7

5 decision points cluster between mile 14.2 and 39.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
14.2 mi into trip | ~21m in | Ox Bow Road

Enter roundabout onto Ox Bow Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

3
14.6 mi into trip | ~22m in

Take the exit

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early

6
37.2 mi into trip | ~46m in

Take the exit toward Cold Brook Road, Hermon, Hampden

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

Exit 180 Toward Cold Brook Road, Hermon, Hampden
4
37.6 mi into trip | ~47m in | Coldbrook Road

Turn right onto Coldbrook Road

Navigation decision point

4
39.8 mi into trip | ~51m in | ME 9 Business / Western Avenue

Turn left onto ME 9 Business / Western Avenue

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.49 one way

$12.98 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $7.14 $14.28
premium $4.86 $7.72 $15.43
diesel $5.61 $8.90 $17.80

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.1 0 $4.23 $1.93
Efficient EV 10.1 0 $3.53 $1.61
EV Truck/SUV 16.1 0 $5.64 $2.58

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 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 Apr 20, 2026

Origin

Dexter, ME

Morning in Dexter on Tuesday

Local time

6:25 AM

EDT

Current temp

38°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Hampden, ME

Morning in Hampden on Tuesday

Local time

6:25 AM

EDT

Current temp

56°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

38°F

Newport, ME

20 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

18 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

53m 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?

This 40.3-mile drive features a 57% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your time on faster roads like I 95. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 22.3 miles on I 95, offering a period of consistent speed. While the main roads include Dexter Road and Moosehead Trail, the profile is described as a mixed drive, suggesting a transition from local roads to the interstate. Expect a drive that starts on potentially more local thoroughfares before merging onto quicker highway travel for the bulk of the journey.

57% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.3 mi on I 95.

How Hard Is This Drive?

3/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 14.2 miles in near Ox Bow Road.

Driving Effort 3/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 53m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 14.2 miles (Ox Bow Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 14.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 37.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Dexter, ME to Hampden, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Hermon along the way.

Hermon

37.2 mi in | ~46m

About the Cities

Starting in Dexter, ME

Full guide →

Dexter is a city 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 53m. Total distance: 40.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

53m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (57%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 22.3 miles on I 95. 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 14.2 miles (Ox Bow Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 14.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early; at 37.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Hampden, 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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Explore More

Return Trip

Hampden, ME to Dexter, ME

Plan the drive back the other way.

40.2 mi 53m

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