Origin
Portland, ME
Late night in Portland on Saturday
Local time
2:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Portland, ME to Auburn, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
34 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Auburn, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Portland, ME to Auburn, ME is 34 miles and takes about 45m via Maine Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, short drive primarily on highways connecting two points within the Northeast region, specifically within Maine. Given its brevity, it's an ideal option for a quick trip, allowing you to reach your destination with plenty of time to spare. You'll spend most of your time on the Maine Turnpike, making it a rather efficient journey. Consider this route if you need to get from Portland to Auburn without much fuss or a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route leans heavily towards highway driving, with 65% of the journey on high-speed roads like the Maine Turnpike. You'll experience a significant uninterrupted stretch of 22.2 miles on the Maine Turnpike, offering a consistent pace for a good portion of the trip. While the profile is highway-focused, expect transitions onto local roads like Washington Street and Forest Avenue as you approach Auburn. This means the latter part of your drive will involve navigating city streets, so be prepared for potential traffic and lower speed limits.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 18 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 22.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and Washington Street. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Brown Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (ME 26; ME 100 / Washington Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Brown Street
Turn right onto Brown Street
Navigation decision point
5
4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
ME 26; ME 100 / Washington Avenue
Turn left onto ME 26; ME 100 / Washington Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
6.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the ramp
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
7
6.5 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North: Lewiston, Augusta
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North: Lewiston, Augusta
5
28.9 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward US 202, ME 4, ME 100: Auburn
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 202, ME 4, ME 100: Auburn
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Portland, ME to Auburn, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Augusta along the way.
Augusta
6.5 mi in
|
~13m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 22.2 mi | 23m |
| Washington Street | 4.2 mi | 6m |
| Forest Avenue | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Auburn Street | 1.7 mi | 4m |
| Allen Avenue | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Gray Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Minot Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| High Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 22.2 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, ME and Auburn, ME.
1
Start on Congress Street
484 ft
·
20 sec
·
Congress Street
2
Turn right onto Brown Street
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Brown Street
3
Turn left onto Cumberland Avenue
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Cumberland Avenue
4
Turn right onto ME 77
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
·
High Street
5
Continue on ME 100
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Forest Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
6
Take the exit
200 ft
·
9 sec
7
Turn slight right onto ME 100
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Allen Avenue
8
Turn left onto ME 26; ME 100
262 ft
·
7 sec
·
Washington Avenue
Use the left lane.
9
Continue on ME 26; ME 100
1.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Auburn Street
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on ME 26; ME 100
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Gray Road
11
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
Use the left lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 95 North: Lewiston, Augusta
13
Merge onto I 95
14 mi
·
15 min
·
Maine Turnpike
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 95
8.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Maine Turnpike
15
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
41 sec
Toward US 202, ME 4, ME 100: Auburn
16
At end of road, turn left onto US 202; ME 4
4.2 mi
·
6 min
·
Washington Street
17
Merge onto US 202; ME 4; ME 11; ME 100
0.5 mi
·
35 sec
·
Minot Avenue
18
Arrive at destination
US 202; ME 4; ME 11; ME 100
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17 mi from Portland, ME · 24m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 miles from Portland, ME, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Auburn, ME
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Auburn, ME if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.47 one way
$10.95 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $6.02 | $12.04 |
| premium | $4.86 | $6.51 | $13.02 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.51 | $15.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.34
Maine Turnpike
(22.2 mi)
$1.34
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$1
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Auburn, ME
Late night in Auburn on Saturday
Local time
2:16 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
1 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
45m 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 Portland, ME to Auburn, ME covers 34 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Maine Turnpike, Washington Street, Forest Avenue. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17 miles from Portland, ME. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.47 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.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 4 miles (ME 26; ME 100 / Washington Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 6.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Portland, ME to Auburn, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Augusta along the way.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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