Portland, ME to North Berwick, ME is 38 miles and takes about 49 minutes via Maine Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and entirely within Maine. It’s a straightforward drive primarily on highway, making it a simple option for a quick relocation or a visit to a neighboring town. Given its brevity, you won't need to worry about extensive planning for this particular stretch.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Maine Turnpike
23.8 mi
25m
North Berwick Road
5.2 mi
7m
I 295
4.6 mi
6m
Park Avenue
0.9 mi
1m
Wells Street
0.9 mi
1m
Sanford Road
0.6 mi
1m
Portland Street
0.4 mi
1m
Fore River Parkway
0.2 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 23.8 mi, about 25m
Traffic on I-295
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 38 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,298 veh/hr typical
· worst 3,842
Quietest
2 AM
~103 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
32×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, ME and North Berwick, 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
24 mi·25 min·Maine Turnpike
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi·1 min
Exit 19Toward ME 9, ME 109: Wells, Sanford
13
Turn right onto ME 109; ME 9
0.6 mi·1 min·Sanford Road
14
Turn left onto North Berwick Road
5.2 mi·7 min·North Berwick Road
15
Continue on ME 9
0.9 mi·1 min·Wells Street
16
Turn left onto Portland Street
0.4 mi·1 min·Portland Street
17
At end of road, turn right onto Market Street
33 ft·6 sec·Market Street
18
Turn left onto Snow's Court
61 ft·2 sec·Snow's Court
19
Arrive at destination
Snow's Court
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 19 miles from Portland, 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 15
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 30.5 — 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
0.4 mi into trip|~1m in|ME 77 / High Street
Turn right onto ME 77 / High Street
Navigation decision point
5
1.6 mi into trip|~3m in|Fore River Parkway
Turn left onto Fore River Parkway
Navigation decision point
6
30.5 mi into trip|~36m in
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
Exit 19
Toward ME 9, ME 109: Wells, Sanford
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.33 one way
$12.66 round trip
$4.23/gal25.4 MPG avg13 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.70
$7.02
$14.05
premium
$5.07
$7.58
$15.16
diesel
$5.60
$8.38
$16.75
Estimated Tolls: $1.43
Maine Turnpike
(23.8 mi)$1.43
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
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging
· 0 stops
· 69% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
11.4
0
$3.99
$1.82
Efficient EV
9.5
0
$3.33
$1.52
EV Truck/SUV
15.2
0
$5.32
$2.43
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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 Sep 4, 2026
Origin
Portland, ME
Late night
in Portland on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Areas Of Fog
W 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued September 4 at 5:51AM EDT by NWS Gray ME
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued September 4 at 5:38AM EDT by NWS Caribou ME
Destination
North Berwick, ME
Late night
in North Berwick on Tuesday
Local time
4:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Areas Of Fog then Partly Sunny
W 0 to 5 mph8% chanceLive forecast
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued September 4 at 5:51AM EDT by NWS Gray ME
Special Weather Statement
Special Weather Statement issued September 4 at 5:38AM EDT by NWS Caribou ME
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
19 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
49m 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 drive is mostly highway, with 76% of the 38 miles on high-speed roads like the Maine Turnpike and I-295. You'll experience a longest stretch of 23.8 miles on the Maine Turnpike before transitioning to surface roads. Expect a consistent cruising experience for the majority of your travel time.
76% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 23.8 mi on Maine Turnpike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and North Berwick Road. You will hit about 15 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Brown Street.
Driving Effort6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 38 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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 0.4 miles (ME 77 / High Street): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
198 ft19 ft
Total Climb
243 ft
Total Descent
175 ft
Highest Point
198 ft
~35.3 mi in
Elevation Range
179 ft
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 North Berwick, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Sanford along the way.
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.
Top landmarks
•Portland Museum of Art — art museum in Portland, Maine, USA
•Portland Observatory — signal and observation tower in Maine, United States
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 38 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (76%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 23.8 miles on Maine Turnpike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $1.43 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 North Berwick, 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 0.2 miles (Cumberland Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (ME 77 / High Street): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at North Berwick, ME before heading back.
