Origin
Sanford, ME
Night in Sanford on Saturday
Local time
10:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
55°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Sanford, ME to Bethel, ME
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 6, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
2h 15m
Distance
78.4 mi
126 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$13
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
2h 6m
★
6 AM
2h 16m
8 AM
2h 35m
10 AM
2h 23m
12 PM
2h 21m
3 PM
2h 23m
5 PM
2h 34m
8 PM
2h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Sanford, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Bethel, ME
RealToughCandy.com
Trip Overview
The drive from Sanford, ME to Bethel, ME covers 78.4 miles and takes about 2h 15m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Bridgton Road, Cape Road, Songo Pond Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.3 miles on Bridgton Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $13.06 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.
Midpoint
39.2 miles from Sanford, ME
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h 10m into the drive .
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bridgton Road | 16.3 mi | 28m |
| Cape Road | 6.4 mi | 11m |
| Songo Pond Road | 5.8 mi | 9m |
| Main Street | 5.3 mi | 9m |
| Sokokis Avenue | 5.3 mi | 9m |
| Valley Road | 5 mi | 8m |
| Waterboro Road | 3.9 mi | 6m |
| Townhouse Road | 3.8 mi | 6m |
Longest stretch:
Bridgton Road
— 16.3 mi, about 28m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Sanford, ME and Bethel, ME.
1
Start on this road
89 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Washington Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Washington Street
3
Continue on River Street
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
·
River Street
4
Turn right onto US 202; ME 4A
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Cottage Street
5
Continue on US 202; ME 4A
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Sanford Road
6
Turn left onto US 202; ME 4
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Oak Street
Use the left lane.
7
Continue on US 202; ME 4
2.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Waterboro Road
8
Continue on US 202; ME 4
4.9 mi
·
8 min
·
Main Street
9
At end of road, turn left onto ME 5
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Sokokis Trail
10
Turn right onto Townhouse Road
3.8 mi
·
6 min
·
Townhouse Road
11
Continue on Waterboro Road
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Waterboro Road
12
Turn left onto ME 117
6.4 mi
·
11 min
·
Cape Road
13
Turn right onto ME 11
5.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Sokokis Avenue
14
Continue on ME 11
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Main Street
15
At end of road, turn left onto ME 11; ME 113
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Pequawket Trail
16
Turn right onto ME 11; ME 107
16 mi
·
28 min
·
Bridgton Road
17
At end of road, turn right onto South High Street
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
South High Street
18
Turn right onto Sandy Creek Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Sandy Creek Road
19
At end of road, turn left onto US 302
1.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Portland Road
20
Continue on Harrison Road
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Harrison Road
21
Turn left onto North Bridgton Road
95 ft
·
2 sec
·
North Bridgton Road
22
Continue on North Bridgton Road
2.9 mi
·
5 min
·
North Bridgton Road
23
Continue on State Route 37
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
State Route 37
24
Turn straight onto Waterford Road
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Waterford Road
25
Turn left onto Valley Road
5.0 mi
·
8 min
·
Valley Road
26
Continue on ME 35
0.6 mi
·
56 sec
·
Maine Street
27
Turn right onto ME 5; ME 35
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Crooked River Crossway
28
Continue on ME 5; ME 35
3.0 mi
·
4 min
·
Crooked River Causeway
29
Continue on ME 5; ME 35
5.8 mi
·
9 min
·
Songo Pond Road
30
Turn sharp right onto Mill Hill Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Mill Hill Road
31
At end of road, turn left onto Broad Street
23 ft
·
0 sec
·
Broad Street
32
Arrive at destination
Broad Street
Trip Plan
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.
You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 39.2 miles from Sanford, ME, or about 1h 10m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 16.3 miles.
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 17 miles or 30m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 39.2 miles or 1h 10m 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 56m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Bethel, ME than in the middle of the route.
Before You Leave
+
Open the route before leaving Sanford, 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 Sanford, ME
This is one driving day of about 78.4 miles and 2h 15m.
Your first comfortable stop window is around 17 miles from Sanford, ME.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
The longest stretch is on Bridgton Road for about 16.3 miles.
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
39 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 17 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 39.2 miles from Sanford, 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 175 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 78.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Washington Street
Turn right onto Washington Street
Navigation decision point
5
11.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
|
ME 5 / Sokokis Trail
At end of road, turn left onto ME 5 / Sokokis Trail
Navigation decision point
5
31 mi into trip
|
~55m in
|
ME 11; ME 113 / Pequawket Trail
At end of road, turn left onto ME 11; ME 113 / Pequawket Trail
Navigation decision point
5
78.1 mi into trip
|
~2h 14m in
|
Mill Hill Road
Turn sharp right onto Mill Hill Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
78.4 mi into trip
|
~2h 15m in
|
Broad Street
At end of road, turn left onto Broad Street
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$13.06 one way
$26.12 round trip
$4.23/gal
25.4 MPG avg
27 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.70 | $14.49 | $28.98 |
| premium | $5.07 | $15.64 | $31.27 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $17.28 | $34.56 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$13
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$38–$63
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 27.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $8 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 23.5 | 0 | $8.23 | $3.76 |
| Efficient EV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.86 | $3.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 31.4 | 0 | $10.98 | $5.02 |
Gas CO2
27 kg
EV CO2
9 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.
Destination
Bethel, ME
Night in Bethel on Saturday
Local time
10:35 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
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
2h 15m 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?
78.4 mi in 2h 15m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
32 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.3 mi on Bridgton Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
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 early in the drive near Washington 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 2h 15m drive. You will face about 17 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 (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles (ME 5 / Sokokis Trail): Navigation decision point; at 31 miles (ME 11; ME 113 / Pequawket Trail): Navigation decision point.
Elevation Profile
Gently rolling terrain
779 ft
237 ft
Total Climb
1,162 ft
Total Descent
740 ft
Highest Point
779 ft
~44.8 mi in
Elevation Range
542 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Sanford, ME
Full guide →Founded 1739
Sanford is a small town is southern Maine. It includes the village of Springvale.
Top landmarks
- • Sanford Mills Historic District — historic district in Maine, United States
Arriving in Bethel, ME
Full guide →Founded 1774
Bethel is a town in Oxford County (Maine). It is near the White Mountain National Forest and home to Sunday River ski resort. Outward Bound and Gould Academy are also here.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 2h 15m. Total distance: 78.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
2h 15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 16.3 miles on Bridgton Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes, with realistic expectations. Build in a stop roughly every 2 hours, have snacks and activities ready, and check the Nearby Places tabs for kid-friendly stops along the way.
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 (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 11.9 miles (ME 5 / Sokokis Trail): Navigation decision point; at 31 miles (ME 11; ME 113 / Pequawket Trail): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bethel, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. 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
Continue From Bethel, ME
More trips to Bethel, ME
Explore more options from Sanford, ME or browse trips ending in Bethel, ME.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse ME road trips.