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Trip from Saco, ME to Bath, ME

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 5m

Distance

50.3 mi

81 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 0m ★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 16m
10 AM
1h 9m
12 PM
1h 8m
3 PM
1h 10m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in York County, Maine, United States

Saco, ME

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Bath, ME, ME

Bath, ME

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Saco to Bath is 50.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 5 minutes via I 295, with a fuel budget near $8 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maine, moving from the Northeast region to another part of the Northeast. It's a quick trip focused heavily on highway travel, making it an efficient choice if you're looking to get from point A to point B without much fuss. Consider this route for a straightforward journey where speed and ease are the main priorities.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 295 28.2 mi 34m
Maine Turnpike 8.8 mi 9m
Mill Street 8.5 mi 11m
North Street 1.4 mi 2m
Pleasant Street 1.2 mi 2m
Commercial Street 0.2 mi <1m
Vine Street 0.1 mi <1m
Beach Street <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 295 — 28.2 mi, about 34m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Saco, ME and Bath, ME.

1

Start on US 1 Alternate

92 ft · 8 sec · Main Street
2

Turn right onto ME 112

162 ft · 5 sec · Beach Street
3

Continue on ME 5; ME 112

1.4 mi · 2 min · North Street
4

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 North: Portland
5

Merge onto I 95

8.8 mi · 9 min · Maine Turnpike
6

Keep slight right at fork onto I 295

28 mi · 34 min · I 295
Exit 44 Toward Downtown Portland Use the slight right lane.
7

Take the exit

1.3 mi · 2 min
Exit 28 Toward US 1: Brunswick, Bath, Coastal Route Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on US 1

1.2 mi · 2 min · Pleasant Street
Use the left lane.
9

Turn left onto Mill Street

8.5 mi · 11 min · Mill Street
Use the left lane.
10

Turn slight right onto Commercial Street

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Commercial Street
11

Continue on Vine Street

0.1 mi · 29 sec · Vine Street
12

Arrive at destination

Vine Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Yarmouth, ME, ME

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Yarmouth, ME

25 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

South Portland Gardens, ME

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Portland, ME

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.1 miles from Saco, 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 6

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 41.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | ME 112 / Beach Street

Turn right onto ME 112 / Beach Street

Navigation decision point

4
1.5 mi into trip | ~2m in

Take the ramp toward I 95 North: Portland

Navigation decision point

Toward I 95 North: Portland
8
10.8 mi into trip | ~13m in | I 295

Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 toward Downtown Portland

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 44 Toward Downtown Portland
8
39 mi into trip | ~47m in

Take the exit toward US 1: Brunswick, Bath, Coastal Route

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 28 Toward US 1: Brunswick, Bath, Coastal Route
5
41.5 mi into trip | ~52m in | Mill Street

Turn left onto Mill Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.10 one way

$16.20 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $8.91 $17.82
premium $4.86 $9.63 $19.26
diesel $5.61 $11.11 $22.21

Estimated Tolls: $0.53

Maine Turnpike (8.8 mi) $0.53

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$1

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 17.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.1 0 $5.28 $2.41
Efficient EV 12.6 0 $4.40 $2.01
EV Truck/SUV 20.1 0 $7.04 $3.22

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Dec 18, 2023

Origin

Saco, ME

Night in Saco on Saturday

Local time

10:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bath, ME

Night in Bath on Saturday

Local time

10:44 PM

EDT

Current temp

37°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

53°F

Yarmouth, ME

25 mi in

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 5m 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 is a highway-focused drive, with 74% of the route utilizing major highways like I 295 and the Maine Turnpike. You'll experience a significant stretch of 28.2 miles uninterrupted on I 295, offering a consistent pace. While primarily highway, the inclusion of Mill Street suggests a transition towards local roads as you approach your destination. Expect a driving experience that balances efficient travel with brief moments of local road navigation.

74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 28.2 mi on I 295.

How Hard Is This Drive?

4/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 295 and Maine Turnpike. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near ME 112 / Beach Street.

Driving Effort 4/10

Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a straightforward 1h 5m 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: near the start (ME 112 / Beach Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 10.8 miles (I 295): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Saco, ME and Bath, ME, road signs point toward Portland and Coastal Route.

Portland

10.8 mi in | ~13m | via I 295

Coastal Route

39 mi in | ~47m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 50.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (74%). Straightforward navigation.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 28.2 miles on I 295. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Expect about $0.53 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.

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: near the start (ME 112 / Beach Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles: Navigation decision point; at 10.8 miles (I 295): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bath, 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.

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