Origin
Rockland, ME
Morning in Rockland on Tuesday
Local time
9:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
41°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Rockland, ME to Waterville, ME
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 28m
Distance
56.6 mi
91 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 22m
★
6 AM
1h 29m
8 AM
1h 42m
10 AM
1h 34m
12 PM
1h 32m
3 PM
1h 34m
5 PM
1h 42m
8 PM
1h 25m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockland, ME
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Waterville, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Rockland to Waterville is 56.6 miles and takes about 1 hour 28 minutes via Rockland Road and US 202, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip takes you through the Northeast region, staying within Maine. It's a short, straightforward drive primarily on surface roads, making it a convenient option for a quick transit between these two locations. Consider this route if you're looking for a simple, direct connection without extensive highway driving.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Rockland Road | 8.4 mi | 11m |
| US 202 | 7.1 mi | 11m |
| Heald Highway | 6.9 mi | 9m |
| Rockland Street | 6.2 mi | 10m |
| China Road | 5.8 mi | 8m |
| Ridge Road | 5.6 mi | 9m |
| Augusta Road | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| Windsor Road | 2.9 mi | 5m |
Longest stretch:
Rockland Road
— 8.4 mi, about 11m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Rockland, ME and Waterville, ME.
1
Start on US 1
0.4 mi
·
28 sec
·
Main Street
2
Continue on North Main Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
North Main Street
3
Turn straight onto ME 17
0.4 mi
·
39 sec
·
Maverick Street
4
Continue on ME 17
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Lakeview Drive
5
Continue on ME 17
6.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Rockland Street
6
Continue on ME 17
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Main Street
7
Continue on ME 17
6.9 mi
·
9 min
·
Heald Highway
8
Continue on ME 17
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Rockland Road
9
Continue on ME 17
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Augusta Road
10
Continue on ME 17
6.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Rockland Road
11
Continue on ME 17; ME 32
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Augusta-Rockland Road
12
Turn right onto ME 32
5.6 mi
·
9 min
·
Ridge Road
13
Continue on ME 32
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Windsor Road
14
Turn right onto US 202; ME 3; ME 9
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Route 3
15
Turn slight left onto US 202; ME 9
7.1 mi
·
11 min
·
US 202; ME 9
Use the left lane.
16
Continue on ME 137
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Waterville Road
17
Continue on ME 137
5.8 mi
·
8 min
·
China Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
18
At end of road, turn right onto US 201; ME 100; ME 137 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Bay Street
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
19
Turn left onto US 201; ME 100; ME 137 Business
444 ft
·
16 sec
·
Bridge Street
20
Continue on US 201; ME 100; ME 137 Business
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
Spring Street
21
At end of road, turn right onto ME 11; ME 104
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Elm Street
22
Turn right onto Post Office Square
42 ft
·
1 sec
·
Post Office Square
23
Arrive at destination
Post Office Square
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28.3 miles from Rockland, 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 65 decision points cluster between mile 32.3 and 56.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
32.3 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
ME 32 / Ridge Road
Turn right onto ME 32 / Ridge Road
Navigation decision point
3
40.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 3m in
|
US 202; ME 3; ME 9 / Route 3
Turn right onto US 202; ME 3; ME 9 / Route 3
Navigation decision point
6
55.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 26m in
|
US 201; ME 100; ME 137 Business / Bay Street
At end of road, turn right onto US 201; ME 100; ME 137 Business / Bay Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
4
56.4 mi into trip
|
~1h 28m in
|
ME 11; ME 104 / Elm Street
At end of road, turn right onto ME 11; ME 104 / Elm Street
Navigation decision point
4
56.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 28m in
|
Post Office Square
Turn right onto Post Office Square
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.11 one way
$18.22 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $10.03 | $20.05 |
| premium | $4.86 | $10.84 | $21.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.50 | $24.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17 | 0 | $5.94 | $2.72 |
| Efficient EV | 14.2 | 0 | $4.95 | $2.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.6 | 0 | $7.92 | $3.62 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 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.
Destination
Waterville, ME
Morning in Waterville on Tuesday
Local time
9:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
57°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
16 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
1h 28m 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 has a low highway share at just 13%, meaning most of your time will be spent on surface roads. You'll encounter an 8.4-mile stretch on Rockland Road, which is the longest continuous section without a significant change. Expect to transition from highway driving to surface roads relatively early in the trip. The profile suggests mostly surface roads, so anticipate more local traffic and intersections as you proceed.
Only 13% 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: 8.4 mi on Rockland Road.
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 32.3 miles in near ME 32 / Ridge Road.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 28m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 32.3 miles (ME 32 / Ridge Road): Navigation decision point; at 40.8 miles (US 202; ME 3; ME 9 / Route 3): Navigation decision point; at 55.3 miles (US 201; ME 100; ME 137 Business / Bay Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 28m. Total distance: 56.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 28m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (13%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.4 miles on Rockland Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 32.3 miles (ME 32 / Ridge Road): Navigation decision point; at 40.8 miles (US 202; ME 3; ME 9 / Route 3): Navigation decision point; at 55.3 miles (US 201; ME 100; ME 137 Business / Bay Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Frances Perkins National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Waterville, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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