Origin
Eliot, ME
Late night in Eliot on Sunday
Local time
12:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Eliot, ME to Saco, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
38.3 mi
62 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Eliot, ME
PhotoShoot Studio | Candid, Birthday Pre Wedding, Baby, Maternity & Child Photographer in Pune Ps Studio
Saco, ME
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Trip Overview
Eliot, ME to Saco, ME is 38.3 miles and takes about 49m via Maine Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward trip entirely within Maine, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Given its brief duration and primarily highway profile, it's an easy one-day excursion. You'll spend most of your time on the Maine Turnpike, making it a quick connection between these two communities. It’s a practical choice if you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 28.8 mi | 30m |
| Harold L Dow Highway | 3 mi | 5m |
| Alfred Street | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Route 236 | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Main Street | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| State Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Route 1 | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Depot Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 28.8 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Eliot, ME and Saco, ME.
1
Start on this road
272 ft
·
21 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
75 ft
·
11 sec
3
Turn left onto Depot Road
254 ft
·
11 sec
·
Depot Road
4
Turn right onto ME 236
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Harold L Dow Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on ME 236
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Route 236
6
Enter roundabout onto US 1
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
State Road
7
Continue on US 1
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
State Road
8
Continue on US 1
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Route 1
9
Take the ramp
0.6 mi
·
1 min
10
Merge onto I 95
29 mi
·
30 min
·
Maine Turnpike
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 32
Toward ME 111: Biddeford, Arundel
12
Turn left onto ME 111
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Alfred Street
13
Turn left onto US 1; ME 111
146 ft
·
3 sec
·
Elm Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
14
Turn right
226 ft
·
8 sec
15
Turn slight right onto ME 111
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Alfred Street
16
Turn right onto ME 9; US 1 Alternate
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Main Street
17
Arrive at destination
US 1 Alternate
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.2 miles from Eliot, 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 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 36.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Depot Road
Turn left onto Depot Road
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
ME 236 / Harold L Dow Highway
Turn right onto ME 236 / Harold L Dow Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
34.6 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward ME 111: Biddeford, Arundel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 32
Toward ME 111: Biddeford, Arundel
5
36.3 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
US 1; ME 111 / Elm Street
Turn left onto US 1; ME 111 / Elm Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.17 one way
$12.33 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.78 | $13.57 |
| premium | $4.86 | $7.33 | $14.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.46 | $16.91 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.73
Maine Turnpike
(28.8 mi)
$1.73
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$2
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.5 | 0 | $4.02 | $1.84 |
| Efficient EV | 9.6 | 0 | $3.35 | $1.53 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.3 | 0 | $5.36 | $2.45 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Saco, ME
Late night in Saco on Sunday
Local time
12:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
42°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
15 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
49m 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 38.3-mile route features a high percentage of highway driving, with 80% of it on the Maine Turnpike. You'll experience a longest stretch of 28.8 miles on this highway before transitioning to surface roads like Harold L Dow Highway and Alfred Street. Expect a consistent cruising speed for the majority of the drive, with more frequent exits and local traffic as you approach Saco. The highway portion offers a smooth, uninterrupted experience for the bulk of the trip.
80% 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: 28.8 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and Harold L Dow Highway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 49m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Depot Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (ME 236 / Harold L Dow Highway): 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.
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 Eliot, ME to Saco, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Arundel along the way.
Arundel
34.6 mi in
|
~42m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 38.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 28.8 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.73 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 4 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. 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 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Depot Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (ME 236 / Harold L Dow Highway): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Saco, 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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