Origin
Portland, ME
Late night in Portland on Sunday
Local time
12:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Portland, ME to Kennebunk, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
27.2 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Kennebunk, ME
Torie Roman
Trip Overview
This straightforward 27.2-mile journey from Portland, ME, to Kennebunk, ME, will take you about 36 minutes to complete. It's an easy day trip, so you won't need to worry about overnight stays. The route is heavily focused on highway driving, with 82% of it on major roads like the Maine Turnpike and I-295. You can expect a fuel cost of around $4 for this short hop within the Northeast region. This drive is perfect if you're looking for a quick and efficient way to get from one point to another without much fuss.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 17.4 mi | 18m |
| I 295 | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Fletcher Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Park Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Fore River Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cumberland Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Alewive Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 17.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, ME and Kennebunk, 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
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
High Street
5
Turn left onto Park Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue
6
Continue on Congress Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Congress Street
7
Turn left onto Fore River Parkway
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Fore River Parkway
8
Take the ramp onto US 1A
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
US 1A
9
Merge onto I 295; US 1
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 295; US 1
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
I 295
11
Merge onto I 95
17 mi
·
18 min
·
Maine Turnpike
12
Take the exit
228 ft
·
5 sec
Exit 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
14
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
15
At end of road, turn left onto ME 35
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Alewive Road
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto ME 35
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Fletcher Street
17
Enter roundabout onto ME 35
89 ft
·
2 sec
·
Fletcher Street
18
Continue on ME 35
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Fletcher Street
19
Turn right onto US 1; ME 9A
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
·
Main Street
20
Continue on US 1; ME 9A
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
York Street
21
Turn right onto Friend Street
128 ft
·
5 sec
·
Friend Street
22
Arrive at destination
Friend Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 24.7 — 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
5
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Fore River Parkway
Turn left onto Fore River Parkway
Navigation decision point
8
24 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
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 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
8
24.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
7
24.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
ME 35 / Alewive Road
At end of road, turn left onto ME 35 / Alewive Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.38 one way
$8.76 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.82 | $9.64 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.21 | $10.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.01 | $12.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.04
Maine Turnpike
(17.4 mi)
$1.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Kennebunk, ME
Late night in Kennebunk on Sunday
Local time
12:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
37°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
14 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
36m 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 for the majority of this drive, with 82% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll spend a good portion of your time on the Maine Turnpike, including a continuous stretch of 17.4 miles. While primarily on highways like I-295 and the Maine Turnpike, you'll also navigate local roads such as Fletcher Street closer to your destination. This means the drive offers a mix of efficient highway travel and a brief transition to more local-feeling streets as you arrive.
82% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.4 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and I 295. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Brown 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 16 decision points packed into just 27.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (Fore River Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 24 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 Portland, ME to Kennebunk, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Kennebunkport along the way.
Kennebunkport
24 mi in
|
~29m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 27.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.4 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.04 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 Kennebunk, 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 0.1 miles (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (Fore River Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 24 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 Kennebunk, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
More trips to Kennebunk, ME
Explore more options from Portland, ME or browse trips ending in Kennebunk, ME.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse ME road trips.