Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
49.6 mi
80 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kittery, ME
Ever Rayan
Shady Nook, ME
RealToughCandy.com
Kittery, ME to Shady Nook, ME is 49.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 18 minutes via Maine Turnpike and local roads, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays entirely within Maine, taking you from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. It's a relatively short trip, making it ideal for a single-day excursion. The route offers a mix of highway driving and local road navigation, providing a varied experience without being overly demanding. Consider this trip if you're looking for a straightforward journey within the state.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 17 mi | 18m |
| Shapleigh Corner Road | 7.7 mi | 12m |
| Sanford Road | 5.4 mi | 9m |
| Main Street | 5 mi | 9m |
| Grammar Road | 2.1 mi | 4m |
| Shady Nook Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Emery Mills Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Alfred Street | 1.7 mi | 2m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~3,037 veh/hr typical · worst 4,183
Quietest
1 AM
~166 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
18.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Kittery, ME and Shady Nook, ME.
Start on ME 103
Continue on ME 236
Continue on ME 236
Continue on Rogers Road
Turn slight right onto US 1
Continue on US 1
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Turn right onto ME 109; ME 9
Continue on ME 109
Turn right onto Jagger Mill Road
At end of road, turn right onto ME 4
Turn left onto Grammar Road
Continue on ME 224
Continue on ME 224
Continue on ME 224
Turn slight right
Turn right onto ME 109; ME 11
Continue on ME 11; ME 109
Turn slight right onto ME 11
Continue on ME 11
Continue on ME 11
Turn left onto Shady Nook Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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.
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 24.8 miles from Kittery, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 1.9 and 47.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Merge onto I 95 / Maine Turnpike
Merge point - match speed before joining
Take the exit toward ME 9, ME 109: Wells, Sanford
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Turn right onto ME 109; ME 9 / Sanford Road
Navigation decision point
At end of road, turn right onto ME 4 / Alfred Street
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Shady Nook Road
Navigation decision point
Regular Gas
$8.77 one way
$17.54 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $9.60 | $19.21 |
| premium | $5.29 | $10.33 | $20.66 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $10.45 | $20.89 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.02
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$1
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.9 | 0 | $5.21 | $2.38 |
| Efficient EV | 12.4 | 0 | $4.34 | $1.98 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.8 | 0 | $6.94 | $3.17 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Evening in Kittery on Wednesday
Local time
8:20 PM
EDT
Current temp
44°F
Partly Cloudy
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued May 21 at 2:45PM EDT until May 22 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gray ME
Destination
Evening in Shady Nook on Wednesday
Local time
8:20 PM
EDT
Current temp
37°F
Partly Cloudy
Freeze Warning
Freeze Warning issued May 21 at 2:45PM EDT until May 22 at 8:00AM EDT by NWS Gray ME
51°F
Sanford, ME
25 mi in
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This route presents a mixed drive experience, with 34% of it on highways like the Maine Turnpike. You'll encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch of 17 miles on the Maine Turnpike, offering a chance for steady progress. As you transition off the turnpike onto Shapleigh Corner Road and Sanford Road, expect the character of the drive to change to more local, potentially winding roads. This shift means you'll need to adjust your speed and awareness, as the scenery and road conditions will likely become more varied.
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 1.9 miles in near I 95 / Maine Turnpike.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 18m 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 1.9 miles (I 95 / Maine Turnpike): Merge point - match speed before joining; at 18.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.5 miles (ME 109; ME 9 / Sanford Road): Navigation decision point.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
733 ft
Total Descent
59 ft
Highest Point
699 ft
~49.6 mi in
Elevation Range
674 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Kittery, ME to Shady Nook, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Sanford along the way.
Sanford
Founded 1632
Kittery is a small town in Maine, directly across from the New Hampshire border, that features a number of outlet stores.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 18m. Total distance: 49.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
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, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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