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Trip from Newcastle, ME to Scarborough, ME

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 26m

Distance

59.7 mi

96 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 20m ★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 22m

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

Downtown Newcastle, ME, ME

Newcastle, ME

Daniel Smyth

Downtown Scarborough, ME, ME

Scarborough, ME

David Roberts

Trip Overview

The drive from Newcastle, ME to Scarborough, ME covers 59.7 miles and takes about 1h 26m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 295, Route 1, Leeman Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.1 miles on I 295. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.61 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 295 25.1 mi 30m
Route 1 12.4 mi 18m
Leeman Highway 9.2 mi 13m
Bath Road 4 mi 7m
Scarborough Connector 2.1 mi 2m
Main Street 2 mi 4m
Pleasant Street 1.4 mi 2m
Black Point Road 1.2 mi 2m
Longest stretch: I 295 — 25.1 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Newcastle, ME and Scarborough, ME.

1

Start on Main Street

35 ft · 6 sec · Main Street
2

Continue on Main Street

0.5 mi · 47 sec · Main Street
3

Merge onto US 1

6.4 mi · 9 min · Route 1
4

Continue on US 1; ME 27

0.5 mi · 1 min · Main Street
5

Turn straight onto US 1

4.0 mi · 7 min · Bath Road
Use the left lane.
6

Continue on US 1

4.9 mi · 6 min · Route 1
7

Continue on US 1

1.0 mi · 2 min · Main Street
8

Continue on US 1

9.2 mi · 13 min · Leeman Highway
9

Turn right onto US 1

1.4 mi · 2 min · Pleasant Street
Use the straight / left lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.5 mi · 41 sec
11

Keep slight left at fork

1.6 mi · 2 min
Toward I 295 South: Freeport, Portland
12

Merge onto I 295

25 mi · 30 min · I 295
Use the straight lane.
13

Keep slight right at fork onto Scarborough Connector

2.1 mi · 2 min · Scarborough Connector
Exit 2 Toward Scarborough, Old Orchard
14

Turn straight onto US 1; ME 9

1.2 mi · 2 min · Route 1
15

Turn left onto ME 207

1.2 mi · 2 min · Black Point Road
16

Turn left onto Highland Avenue

267 ft · 7 sec · Highland Avenue
17

Arrive at destination

Highland Avenue

Where to Stop

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

town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Brunswick, ME

30 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

Woolwich, ME

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Brunswick, ME

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.8 miles from Newcastle, 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 9

5 decision points cluster between mile 26.5 and 55.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

4
26.5 mi into trip | ~41m in | US 1 / Pleasant Street

Turn right onto US 1 / Pleasant Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
4
27.9 mi into trip | ~44m in

Keep slight right at fork

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

6
28.4 mi into trip | ~44m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 295 South: Freeport, Portland

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward I 295 South: Freeport, Portland
5
30 mi into trip | ~47m in | I 295

Merge onto I 295

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
7
55.1 mi into trip | ~1h 17m in | Scarborough Connector

Keep slight right at fork onto Scarborough Connector toward Scarborough, Old Orchard

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 2 Toward Scarborough, Old Orchard

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.61 one way

$19.22 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $10.57 $21.15
premium $4.86 $11.43 $22.86
diesel $5.61 $13.18 $26.36

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.9 0 $6.27 $2.87
Efficient EV 14.9 0 $5.22 $2.39
EV Truck/SUV 23.9 0 $8.36 $3.82

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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 Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Newcastle, ME

Afternoon in Newcastle on Saturday

Local time

2:30 PM

EDT

Current temp

55°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Scarborough, ME

Afternoon in Scarborough on Saturday

Local time

2:30 PM

EDT

Current temp

47°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

46°F

Brunswick, ME

30 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

8 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 26m 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?

59.7 mi in 1h 26m, mostly highway — 25.1 mi of that is on I 295.

63% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 25.1 mi on I 295.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 295 and Route 1. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 26.5 miles in near US 1 / Pleasant Street.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.7 miles you will encounter 9 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: at 26.5 miles (US 1 / Pleasant Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 28.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Newcastle, ME and Scarborough, ME, road signs point toward Portland and Old Orchard.

Portland

28.4 mi in | ~44m

Old Orchard

55.1 mi in | ~1h 17m | via Scarborough Connector

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 59.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (63%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 25.1 miles on I 295. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Scarborough, ME before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

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 26.5 miles (US 1 / Pleasant Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 27.9 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 28.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Scarborough, ME before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the Trip.ovh 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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Explore More

Explore more options from Newcastle, ME or browse trips ending in Scarborough, ME.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse ME road trips.