Origin
Portland, ME
Evening in Portland on Friday
Local time
5:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Portland, ME to Augusta, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 6m
Distance
55.9 mi
90 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 2m
★
6 AM
1h 7m
8 AM
1h 18m
10 AM
1h 11m
12 PM
1h 10m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 17m
8 PM
1h 4m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Augusta, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Portland, ME to Augusta, ME is 55.9 miles and takes about 1 hour 6 minutes via I 295 and Maine Turnpike, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This straightforward drive stays entirely within Maine, connecting two key points in the Northeast region. It's a quick hop up the coast, perfect for a same-day trip when you need to get from the Portland area to the state capital. Expect a highly efficient journey with minimal fuss, making it an easy addition to any larger travel plans.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 6m. Total distance: 55.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (95%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is predominantly a highway-focused drive, with 95% of the journey taking place on major interstates. You'll spend most of your time on I 295 and the Maine Turnpike, experiencing a consistent, high-speed travel environment. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 46.3 miles on I 295, allowing for steady progress. The route is designed for efficiency, meaning you'll find it a smooth and direct path with minimal deviations.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 15 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 295 is the longest continuous segment at about 46.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 295 and Maine Turnpike. You will hit about 10 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Elm Street.
Driving Effort
6/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.9 miles you will encounter 10 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 (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (Cumberland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (US 1A / Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Elm Street
Turn left onto Elm Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Cumberland Avenue
Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 1A / Franklin Street
Turn left onto US 1A / Franklin Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
53.7 mi into trip
|
~1h 1m in
Take the exit toward US 202, ME 11, ME 17, ME 100: Augusta, Winthrop
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 109
Toward US 202, ME 11, ME 17, ME 100: Augusta, W...
7
53.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 2m in
Keep slight right at fork toward US 202, ME 11, ME 17, ME 100: Augusta
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 202, ME 11, ME 17, ME 100: Augusta
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 295 | 46.3 mi | 52m |
| Maine Turnpike | 6.3 mi | 6m |
| Capitol Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Western Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Franklin Street | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Cumberland Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| US 1A | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| State Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 295
— 46.3 mi, about 52m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, ME and Augusta, ME.
1
Start on Congress Street
131 ft
·
11 sec
·
Congress Street
2
Turn left onto Elm Street
519 ft
·
22 sec
·
Elm Street
Use the left lane.
3
Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
Cumberland Avenue
Use the straight / right lanes.
4
Turn left onto US 1A
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
·
Franklin Street
Use the left lane.
5
Take the ramp onto US 1A
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
US 1A
6
Merge onto I 295; US 1
46 mi
·
52 min
·
I 295; US 1
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 95
6.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Maine Turnpike
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 109
Toward US 202, ME 11, ME 17, ME 100: Augusta, Winthrop
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
Toward US 202, ME 11, ME 17, ME 100: Augusta
10
Turn straight onto US 202; ME 11; ME 17; ME 100
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Western Avenue
11
Turn right onto Armory Street
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
Armory Street
12
Continue on Capitol Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Capitol Street
13
Turn left onto US 201; ME 27
0.2 mi
·
18 sec
·
State Street
14
Enter roundabout onto US 201; US 202; ME 11; ME 17; ME 27; ME 100
466 ft
·
8 sec
·
Memorial Circle
15
Arrive at destination
US 201; ME 27
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 28 mi from Portland, ME · 33m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 28 miles from Portland, ME, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Augusta, ME
The final approach into Augusta, ME usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.00 one way
$18.00 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $9.90 | $19.80 |
| premium | $4.86 | $10.70 | $21.41 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.34 | $24.68 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.38
Maine Turnpike
(6.3 mi)
$0.38
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$0
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.8 | 0 | $5.87 | $2.68 |
| Efficient EV | 14 | 0 | $4.89 | $2.24 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.4 | 0 | $7.83 | $3.58 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Augusta, ME
Evening in Augusta on Friday
Local time
5:08 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
52°F
Freeport, ME
28 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
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
1h 6m 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 Augusta, ME covers 55.9 miles and takes about 1h 6m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 295, Maine Turnpike, Capitol Street. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 28 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 $9.00 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.9 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Elm Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.1 miles (Cumberland Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles (US 1A / Franklin Street): Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Portland, ME to Augusta, ME does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Frances Perkins National Monument.
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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