Origin
Lewiston, ME
Late night in Lewiston on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
56°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Lewiston, ME to Portland, ME
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
35.4 mi
57 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Lewiston, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel from Lewiston to Portland, you are in for a quick 35.4-mile trip that typically takes about 46 minutes. This straightforward route is perfect for a single-day excursion, as it connects two major hubs within the Northeast region. Budgeting approximately $6 for fuel is more than enough to cover the distance, making this an economical choice for a quick getaway. Because the drive is so short, you won't need to worry about overnight accommodations or complicated logistics. Whether you are heading south for business or leisure, the route is efficient and keeps you on the move with minimal downtime.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 22.3 mi | 23m |
| Washington Street | 4.1 mi | 5m |
| Forest Avenue | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Auburn Street | 1.8 mi | 4m |
| Allen Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Minot Avenue | 0.7 mi | <1m |
| Gray Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 22.3 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Lewiston, ME and Portland, ME.
1
Start on this road
70 ft
·
10 sec
·
this road
2
Turn sharp left onto ME 126
123 ft
·
4 sec
·
Sabattus Street
3
Turn left onto US 202
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Main Street
4
Continue on US 202; ME 11; ME 100
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Court Street
5
Turn left onto US 202; ME 4; ME 11; ME 100
0.7 mi
·
59 sec
·
Minot Avenue
6
Turn slight left onto US 202; ME 4; ME 100
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Washington Street
7
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
9
Merge onto I 95
7.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Maine Turnpike
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
15 mi
·
15 min
·
Maine Turnpike
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 53
Toward ME 26, ME 100: West Falmouth
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
151 ft
·
3 sec
13
Turn straight onto ME 26; ME 100
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Gray Road
14
Continue on ME 26; ME 100
1.8 mi
·
4 min
·
Auburn Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
15
Turn right onto ME 100
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Allen Avenue
16
Turn left onto US 302; ME 100
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Forest Avenue
17
Turn left onto Portland Street
0.2 mi
·
36 sec
·
Portland Street
18
At end of road, turn right onto Preble Street
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Preble Street
19
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
156 ft
·
5 sec
·
Congress Street
20
Arrive at destination
Congress Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.7 miles from Lewiston, 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 125 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 35.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
ME 126 / Sabattus Street
Turn sharp left onto ME 126 / Sabattus Street
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
4
5.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
8
28.7 mi into trip
|
~33m in
Take the exit toward ME 26, ME 100: West Falmouth
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 53
Toward ME 26, ME 100: West Falmouth
5
35.2 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
Preble Street
At end of road, turn right onto Preble Street
Navigation decision point
6
35.4 mi into trip
|
~46m in
|
Congress Street
At end of road, turn left onto Congress Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.70 one way
$11.40 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.27 | $12.54 |
| premium | $4.86 | $6.78 | $13.56 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.82 | $15.63 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.33
Maine Turnpike
(22.3 mi)
$1.33
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.72 | $1.70 |
| Efficient EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.10 | $1.42 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.96 | $2.27 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Portland, ME
Late night in Portland on Tuesday
Local time
4:11 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
56°F
Gray, ME
18 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
6 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
46m 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?
Expect a highway-focused experience, as roughly 63% of your journey is spent on the interstate. You will spend the bulk of your time on the Maine Turnpike, which accounts for your longest uninterrupted stretch of 22.3 miles. The character of the road shifts from the initial local navigation on Washington Street to the higher speeds of the Turnpike, before eventually transitioning into the city environment via Forest Avenue. It is a functional, no-nonsense drive that prioritizes speed and directness over winding backroads. You will find that the rhythm of the trip is steady, keeping you moving efficiently from the interior of the state down toward the coast.
63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22.3 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and Washington Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near ME 126 / Sabattus Street.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 35.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (ME 126 / Sabattus Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 5.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 28.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
About the Cities
Starting in Lewiston, ME
Full guide →Lewiston-Auburn is a city in Androscoggin County, in the central Maine region of Maine. The Androscoggin River divides the city into two separate municipalities: the east bank is Lewiston, with a population of about 39,000 (2016), and the west bank is Auburn, with about 23,000 people (2016). They are known locally as the "Twin Cities" or "L–A".
Arriving in Portland, ME
Full guide →Portland is on a peninsula in Casco Bay on the Southern Maine coast approximately 100 miles (161 km) north of Boston, Massachusetts. It has more than 65,000 inhabitants, making it the largest city in Maine. Portland is a small seaside city with a high concentration of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries, tours and many things to see and do. Many people commute to Portland to work, and the city's population significantly increases in the summertime.
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 46m. Total distance: 35.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 22.3 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.33 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.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Portland, ME before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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: near the start (ME 126 / Sabattus Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 5.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 28.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Portland, 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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