Origin
Old Orchard Beach, ME
Morning in Old Orchard Beach on Sunday
Local time
11:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
--
Unavailable
Trip from Old Orchard Beach, ME to South Portland Gardens, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
16 mi
26 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 23m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Old Orchard Beach, ME
Wikimedia Commons
South Portland Gardens, ME
Brett Sayles
Trip Overview
Old Orchard Beach to South Portland Gardens is 16 miles and takes about 22 minutes via Maine Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Maine, moving you from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a quick hop that mostly utilizes major highways, making it a straightforward and efficient trip. If you're looking for a simple transition between nearby points in southern Maine, this route will get you there without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 7.8 mi | 8m |
| I 195 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Saco Avenue | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| I 295 | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| West Broadway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Westbrook Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Ocean Park Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Devereaux Circle | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 7.8 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Old Orchard Beach, ME and South Portland Gardens, ME.
1
Start on ME 5
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Saco Avenue
2
Continue on ME 5
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Ocean Park Road
3
Turn straight onto I 195
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 195
4
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North: Portland
5
Merge onto I 95
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
Maine Turnpike
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 295
Exit 44
Toward Downtown Portland
Use the slight right lane.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Exit 1
Toward South Portland
8
Merge onto Samantha Smith Way
361 ft
·
5 sec
·
Samantha Smith Way
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
Toward South Portland
10
Keep slight right at fork
372 ft
·
9 sec
11
Turn straight onto West Broadway
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
West Broadway
12
Turn left onto ME 9
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Westbrook Street
13
Turn slight right
224 ft
·
8 sec
14
Turn straight onto Westbrook Street
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Westbrook Street
15
Turn left onto Devereaux Circle
0.2 mi
·
50 sec
·
Devereaux Circle
16
Arrive at destination
Devereaux Circle
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 85 decision points cluster between mile 4.3 and 14.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
4.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North: Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 95 North: Portland
8
12.7 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 295
Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 toward Downtown Portland
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 44
Toward Downtown Portland
5
13.8 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward South Portland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 1
Toward South Portland
5
14.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward South Portland
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Toward South Portland
5
14.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight right at fork
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.58 one way
$5.15 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $2.83 | $5.67 |
| premium | $4.86 | $3.06 | $6.13 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.53 | $7.07 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.47
Maine Turnpike
(7.8 mi)
$0.47
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Tolls
$0
Total
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.8 | 0 | $1.68 | $0.77 |
| Efficient EV | 4 | 0 | $1.40 | $0.64 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.24 | $1.02 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
South Portland Gardens, ME
Morning in South Portland Gardens on Sunday
Local time
11:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
53°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.
Road read
22m 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 route is heavily highway-focused, with 69% of the drive on major roads. You'll spend a good chunk of your time on the Maine Turnpike, including a stretch of 7.8 miles without interruption. Expect a consistent driving experience for most of the journey, characterized by the speed and flow of interstate travel. The road doesn't change dramatically throughout, maintaining its highway profile.
69% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 7.8 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and I 195. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 4.3 miles in.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 8 decision points packed into just 16 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 22m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 12.7 miles (I 295): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
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 Old Orchard Beach, ME to South Portland Gardens, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Portland along the way.
Portland
12.7 mi in
|
~15m
|
via I 295
About the Cities
Starting in Old Orchard Beach, ME
Full guide →Old Orchard Beach is a city of 8,800 people (2014) in the Southern Coast region of Maine. Old Orchard Beach has a seven-mile stretch of wide-open beach. There are 25 rides and arcade games at Palace Playland, its seaside amusement park. Funtown/Splashtown USA is home to one of the largest wooden roller coasters in the country, and to a ride featuring a 200-foot free-fall descent.
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 22m. Total distance: 16 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (69%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 7.8 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.47 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 South Portland Gardens, 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: at 4.3 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 12.7 miles (I 295): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at South Portland Gardens, 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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