Trip from Auburn, ME to Charleston, ME

Drive Time

2h 17m

Distance

107.9 mi

174 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$17

one way

EV Charging

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 28 min

4 AM

2h 8m ★

6 AM

2h 17m

8 AM

2h 36m

10 AM

2h 24m

12 PM

2h 22m

3 PM

2h 25m

5 PM

2h 35m

8 PM

2h 12m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Auburn, ME

Chermiti Mohamed

Charleston, ME

Gera Cejas

Trip Overview

The drive from Auburn, ME to Charleston, ME covers 107.9 miles and takes about 2h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Maine Turnpike, Exeter Road, Moosehead Trail for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 75.5 miles on Maine Turnpike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $17.27 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

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

54 miles from Auburn, ME

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 1h into the drive .

Drive Character

This is a 2h 17m highway drive covering 107.9 miles, with most of the trip on Maine Turnpike and Exeter Road. The longest continuous stretch is about 75.5 miles on Maine Turnpike.

Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.

There are about 26 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.

Maine Turnpike is the longest continuous segment at about 75.5 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and Exeter Road. You will hit about 16 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near US 202; ME 11; ME 100 / Court Street.

Route Complexity 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 107.9 miles you will encounter 16 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: near the start (US 202; ME 11; ME 100 / Court Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (ME 196 / Canal Street): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 79.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

0 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 202; ME 11; ME 100 / Court Street

Turn right onto US 202; ME 11; ME 100 / Court Street

Navigation decision point

0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | ME 196 / Canal Street

Turn sharp right onto ME 196 / Canal Street

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

79.2 mi into trip | ~1h 27m in

Take the exit toward ME 11, ME 100: Newport, Dexter

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

Exit 157 Toward ME 11, ME 100: Newport, Dexter

79.5 mi into trip | ~1h 28m in

Keep slight left at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

107.9 mi into trip | ~2h 17m in

Turn sharp left

Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach

Towns Along This Route

On the drive from Auburn, ME to Charleston, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Dexter along the way.

Dexter

79.2 mi in | ~1h 27m

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Maine Turnpike	75.5 mi	1h 21m
Exeter Road	15.7 mi	27m
Moosehead Trail	4.7 mi	7m
Main Road	4 mi	7m
Main Street	1.8 mi	2m
Lisbon Street	1.5 mi	1m
Newport Road	1.4 mi	2m
Canal Street	0.8 mi	1m

Longest stretch: Maine Turnpike — 75.5 mi, about 1h 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Auburn, ME and Charleston, ME.

Start on US 202; ME 4; ME 11; ME 100

40 ft · 4 sec · Minot Avenue

Turn right onto US 202; ME 11; ME 100

0.4 mi · 37 sec · Court Street

Continue on US 202; ME 11; ME 100

0.3 mi · 27 sec · Main Street

Turn sharp right onto ME 196

0.8 mi · 1 min · Canal Street

Merge onto ME 196

1.5 mi · 1 min · Lisbon Street

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 34 sec

Turn straight onto Alfred A Plourde Parkway

0.2 mi · 18 sec · Alfred A Plourde Parkway

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 35 sec

Merge onto I 95

19 mi · 20 min · Maine Turnpike

Keep slight left at fork onto I 95

56 mi · 1 hr 1 min · Maine Turnpike

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec

Exit 157 Toward ME 11, ME 100: Newport, Dexter

Keep slight left at fork

112 ft · 6 sec

Turn left onto ME 11; ME 100

0.5 mi · 1 min · Ox Bow Road

Enter roundabout onto ME 7; ME 11

120 ft · 2 sec · Moosehead Trail

Continue on ME 7; ME 11

4.7 mi · 6 min · Moosehead Trail

Continue on ME 7; ME 11

1.4 mi · 2 min · Newport Road

Continue on ME 7; ME 11; ME 43

416 ft · 8 sec · Dexter Road

Turn right onto ME 11; ME 43

7.4 mi · 13 min · Exeter Road

Continue on ME 11; ME 43

1.1 mi · 2 min · Exeter Road

Continue on ME 11; ME 43

7.2 mi · 12 min · Exeter Road

At end of road, turn left onto ME 11; ME 15; ME 43

1.5 mi · 2 min · Main Street

Continue on ME 11; ME 15

0.3 mi · 29 sec · Dover Road

Turn right onto ME 11

4.0 mi · 7 min · Main Road

Turn left onto School Road

174 ft · 10 sec · School Road

Turn sharp left

53 ft · 2 sec

Arrive at destination

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 54 miles from Auburn, ME, or about 1h into the drive.

The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 75.5 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 80 miles or 1h 29m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 54 miles or 1h 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 43m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Charleston, ME than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

Open the route before leaving Auburn, 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 Auburn, ME

This is one driving day of about 107.9 miles and 2h 17m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Auburn, ME.

This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.

You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.

The longest stretch is on Maine Turnpike for about 75.5 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 54 mi from Auburn, ME · 1h into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Brunswick, ME

54 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

Brunswick, ME

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 80 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Brunswick, ME

Meal break

The midpoint is around 54 miles from Auburn, ME, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Before the longest stretch

Fuel check

Top up before Maine Turnpike if your tank is already low. That segment runs about 75.5 miles.

Arriving in Charleston, ME

The final approach into Charleston, ME usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around Charleston, ME.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

National Parks Near This Route

Worth a detour if your schedule allows.

Frances Perkins National Monument

National Monument

Known as the first woman to hold a presidential cabinet position and the “Woman behind the New Deal,” Frances Perkins championed many labor rights that Americans enjoy today, including safety standard...

19 mi from route ~48 min detour Free near mile 22.3

Park Closure: For Current Visitor Information

View on nps.gov

Park data from the National Park Service API. Alerts update every 2 hours.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$17.27 one way

$34.54 round trip

$4.07/gal 25.4 MPG avg 38 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.46	$18.93	$37.87
premium	$4.83	$20.51	$41.02
diesel	$5.64	$23.97	$47.94

Estimated Tolls: $4.53

Maine Turnpike (75.5 mi) $4.53

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

$17

Tolls

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$47–$72

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 37.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-06.

Driving Electric?

About $11 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	32.4	$11.33	$5.18
Efficient EV	27	$9.44	$4.32
EV Truck/SUV	43.2	$15.11	$6.91

Gas CO2

38 kg

EV CO2

13 kg (66% 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 data refreshed 3 days ago

Origin

Auburn, ME

Night in Auburn on Sunday

Local time

9:43 PM

EDT

Current temp

43°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Charleston, ME

Night in Charleston on Sunday

Local time

9:43 PM

EDT

Current temp

40°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Along the Route

43°F

Brunswick, ME

54 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

Same local time

Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.

Temperature spread

3 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 17m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The drive from Auburn, ME to Charleston, ME covers 107.9 miles and takes about 2h 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Maine Turnpike, Exeter Road, Moosehead Trail. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 54 miles from Auburn, ME. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $17.27 one way. This estimate uses 25.4 MPG — your actual cost will vary with your vehicle's fuel efficiency and current gas prices.

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch. Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

On the drive from Auburn, ME to Charleston, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Dexter along the way.

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Trip from Auburn, ME to Charleston, ME

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Drive Character

How Hard Is This Drive?

Critical Maneuvers

Towns Along This Route

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Trip Plan

Before You Leave

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Arriving in Charleston, ME

National Parks Near This Route

Frances Perkins National Monument

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Auburn, ME

Charleston, ME

Same local time

3 degrees cooler at arrival

2h 17m on the road

Frequently Asked Questions

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