Portland, ME to Bethel, ME is 65.2 miles and takes about 1h 40m via Roosevelt Trail, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maine, taking you from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. Expect a local drive with frequent turns, rather than a high-speed highway journey. It's a straightforward, relatively short drive perfect for a single-day excursion, offering a good taste of local Maine scenery without demanding an overnight stay.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
32.6 miles from Portland, ME
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 48m into the drive
.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Roosevelt Trail
24.7 mi
35m
Songo Pond Road
5.8 mi
9m
Valley Road
5 mi
8m
Forest Avenue
4.4 mi
5m
Portland Road
4.3 mi
4m
Bridgton Road
3.8 mi
7m
Crooked River Crossway
3.2 mi
4m
Harrison Road
3 mi
4m
Longest stretch:
Roosevelt Trail
— 24.7 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, ME and Bethel, ME.
1
Start on Congress Street
484 ft·20 sec·Congress Street
2
Turn right onto Brown Street
0.1 mi·30 sec·Brown Street
3
Turn left onto Cumberland Avenue
0.2 mi·29 sec·Cumberland Avenue
4
Turn right onto ME 77
0.3 mi·37 sec·High Street
5
Continue on ME 100
4.4 mi·5 min·Forest Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Continue on US 302
3.8 mi·7 min·Bridgton Road
7
Continue on US 302
4.2 mi·4 min·Roosevelt Trail
8
Enter roundabout onto US 302
290 ft·10 sec·Roosevelt Trail
9
Continue on US 302
20 mi·30 min·Roosevelt Trail
Use the straight lane.
10
Continue on US 302
4.3 mi·4 min·Portland Road
11
Continue on Harrison Road
3.0 mi·4 min·Harrison Road
12
Turn left onto North Bridgton Road
95 ft·2 sec·North Bridgton Road
13
Continue on North Bridgton Road
2.9 mi·5 min·North Bridgton Road
14
Continue on State Route 37
0.7 mi·1 min·State Route 37
15
Turn straight onto Waterford Road
2.6 mi·4 min·Waterford Road
16
Turn left onto Valley Road
5.0 mi·8 min·Valley Road
17
Continue on ME 35
0.6 mi·56 sec·Maine Street
18
Turn right onto ME 5; ME 35
3.2 mi·4 min·Crooked River Crossway
19
Continue on ME 5; ME 35
3.0 mi·4 min·Crooked River Causeway
20
Continue on ME 5; ME 35
5.8 mi·9 min·Songo Pond Road
21
Turn sharp right onto Mill Hill Road
0.3 mi·1 min·Mill Hill Road
22
At end of road, turn left onto Broad Street
23 ft·0 sec·Broad Street
23
Arrive at destination
Broad Street
Trip Plan
Given this is a single-day trip of just 1h 40m, you have a lot of flexibility with your departure time. Leaving Portland, ME in the morning allows ample time to reach Bethel, ME and explore upon arrival. While the drive is short, keep an eye on your fuel; the estimated cost is around $9, but it's always wise to top off before departing if you're starting with a low tank. Since there are no designated stops mentioned, plan for brief breaks as needed, perhaps at a local convenience store, to break up the 24.7-mile longest stretch on Roosevelt Trail.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 32.6 miles from Portland, ME, or about 48m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 24.7 miles.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 14 miles or 21m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 32.6 miles or 48m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 24m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bethel, ME than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Portland, ME so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Portland, ME
This is one driving day of about 65.2 miles and 1h 40m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 14 miles from Portland, ME.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Roosevelt Trail for about 24.7 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 10
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 65.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|Brown Street
Turn right onto Brown Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.2 mi into trip|~0m in|Cumberland Avenue
Turn left onto Cumberland Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
13.2 mi into trip|~20m in|US 302 / Roosevelt Trail
Enter roundabout onto US 302 / Roosevelt Trail
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
5
64.9 mi into trip|~1h 39m in|Mill Hill Road
Turn sharp right onto Mill Hill Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
65.2 mi into trip|~1h 40m in|Broad Street
At end of road, turn left onto Broad Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.50 one way
$20.99 round trip
$4.09/gal25.4 MPG avg23 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.50
$11.55
$23.10
premium
$4.86
$12.49
$24.97
diesel
$5.61
$14.40
$28.79
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$11
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$36–$61
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
19.6
0
$6.85
$3.13
Efficient EV
16.3
0
$5.71
$2.61
EV Truck/SUV
26.1
0
$9.13
$4.17
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026
Origin
Portland, ME
Night
in Portland on Saturday
Local time
10:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Patchy Fog then Mostly Cloudy
E 10 to 15 mph8% chanceLive forecast
Destination
Bethel, ME
Night
in Bethel on Saturday
Local time
10:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
45°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
35°F
Naples, ME
33 mi in
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
5 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
1h 40m on the road
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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route is characterized as a 'Turn-heavy local drive,' indicating you'll be navigating a series of turns rather than cruising on a straight highway. With a highway share of 0%, your journey will primarily consist of local roads. The longest continuous stretch you'll encounter is 24.7 miles on Roosevelt Trail, so be prepared for frequent adjustments. The profile suggests a dynamic driving experience, so stay attentive to your navigation and surroundings as the roads change.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 24.7 mi on Roosevelt Trail.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Brown Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 40m drive. You will face about 10 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 (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Cumberland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 13.2 miles (US 302 / Roosevelt Trail): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 40m. Total distance: 65.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
The longest stretch is about 24.7 miles on Roosevelt Trail. 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 0.1 miles (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.2 miles (Cumberland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 13.2 miles (US 302 / Roosevelt Trail): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bethel, ME before heading back.
