Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 33m
Distance
129.4 mi
208 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$22
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Winterport, ME
Julia Fuchs
The drive from Portland, ME to Winterport, ME covers 129.4 miles and takes about 2h 33m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Maine Turnpike, I 295, Carmel Road North for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 70.6 miles on Maine Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $21.55 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Break Rhythm
1 planned break
A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.
Midpoint
64.7 miles from Portland, ME
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 13m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 70.6 mi | 1h 16m |
| I 295 | 46.3 mi | 52m |
| Carmel Road North | 5.5 mi | 10m |
| Lebanon Road | 5.1 mi | 8m |
| Lebanon Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Franklin Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Cumberland Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| US 1A | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 62 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~2,375 veh/hr typical · worst 2,926
Quietest
2 AM
~84 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
28.3×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, ME and Winterport, ME.
Start on Congress Street
Turn left onto Elm Street
Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue
Turn left onto US 1A
Take the ramp onto US 1A
Merge onto I 295; US 1
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Turn right onto ME 69
Continue on ME 69
Turn straight onto Lebanon Street
Turn right onto Cushing Street
Turn right onto US 1A
Arrive at destination
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.
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 28 miles or 33m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 64.7 miles or 1h 13m 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 58m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Winterport, ME than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Portland, ME so your first major turns are already loaded.
Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.
Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Portland, ME
This is one driving day of about 129.4 miles and 2h 33m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
65 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.
A short stop after about 28 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 64.7 miles from Portland, ME, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Before the longest stretch
Fuel checkTop up before Maine Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 70.6 miles.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 117.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Elm Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 1A / Franklin Street
Lane positioning matters here
Merge onto I 295; US 1
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward ME 69: Carmel, Winterport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$21.55 one way
$43.11 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $23.92 | $47.84 |
| premium | $5.07 | $25.81 | $51.62 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $28.52 | $57.05 |
Estimated Tolls: $4.23
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$22
Tolls
$4
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$51–$76
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 45.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $14 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 38.8 | 0 | $13.59 | $6.21 |
| Efficient EV | 32.4 | 0 | $11.32 | $5.18 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 51.8 | 0 | $18.12 | $8.28 |
Gas CO2
45 kg
EV CO2
15 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Portland on Saturday
Local time
5:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Partly Cloudy
Destination
Late night in Winterport on Saturday
Local time
5:13 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Partly Cloudy
54°F
Augusta, ME
65 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
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
129.4 mi in 2h 33m, mostly highway — 70.6 mi of that is on Maine Turnpike.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and I 295. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Elm Street.
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 2h 33m drive. You will face about 9 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (Cumberland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (US 1A / Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
392 ft
Total Descent
393 ft
Highest Point
376 ft
~110.9 mi in
Elevation Range
300 ft
Founded 1632
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
Founded 1860
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 33m. Total distance: 129.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 1 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 33m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (91%). Straightforward navigation.
Compiled by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy from open government datasets — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for geometry, EIA for fuel prices, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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