Origin
Portland, ME
Evening in Portland on Friday
Local time
8:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
51°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Portland, ME to Kennebunk, ME
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
27.2 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 34m
★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 43m
8 PM
0h 35m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Portland, ME
Wikimedia Commons
Kennebunk, ME
Torie Roman
Trip Overview
This straightforward 27.2-mile journey from Portland, ME, to Kennebunk, ME, will take you about 36 minutes to complete. It's an easy day trip, so you won't need to worry about overnight stays. The route is heavily focused on highway driving, with 82% of it on major roads like the Maine Turnpike and I-295. You can expect a fuel cost of around $4 for this short hop within the Northeast region. This drive is perfect if you're looking for a quick and efficient way to get from one point to another without much fuss.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 27.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (82%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience for the majority of this drive, with 82% of the route utilizing major roadways. You'll spend a good portion of your time on the Maine Turnpike, including a continuous stretch of 17.4 miles. While primarily on highways like I-295 and the Maine Turnpike, you'll also navigate local roads such as Fletcher Street closer to your destination. This means the drive offers a mix of efficient highway travel and a brief transition to more local-feeling streets as you arrive.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 22 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 17.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Maine Turnpike and I 295. 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
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 27.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (Fore River Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 24 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 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
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Fore River Parkway
Turn left onto Fore River Parkway
Navigation decision point
8
24 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Take the exit toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
8
24.1 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
7
24.7 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
ME 35 / Alewive Road
At end of road, turn left onto ME 35 / Alewive Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 Kennebunk, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Kennebunkport along the way.
Kennebunkport
24 mi in
|
~29m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Maine Turnpike | 17.4 mi | 18m |
| I 295 | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Fletcher Street | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| Park Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Main Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Fore River Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Cumberland Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Alewive Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Maine Turnpike
— 17.4 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Portland, ME and Kennebunk, 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
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
High Street
5
Turn left onto Park Avenue
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Park Avenue
6
Continue on Congress Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
Congress Street
7
Turn left onto Fore River Parkway
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
·
Fore River Parkway
8
Take the ramp onto US 1A
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
US 1A
9
Merge onto I 295; US 1
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
I 295; US 1
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 295
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
I 295
11
Merge onto I 95
17 mi
·
18 min
·
Maine Turnpike
12
Take the exit
228 ft
·
5 sec
Exit 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Exit 25
Toward ME 35: Kennebunk, Kennebunkport
14
Continue on this road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
this road
15
At end of road, turn left onto ME 35
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
Alewive Road
Use the left lane.
16
Turn left onto ME 35
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Fletcher Street
17
Enter roundabout onto ME 35
89 ft
·
2 sec
·
Fletcher Street
18
Continue on ME 35
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
·
Fletcher Street
19
Turn right onto US 1; ME 9A
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
·
Main Street
20
Continue on US 1; ME 9A
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
York Street
21
Turn right onto Friend Street
128 ft
·
5 sec
·
Friend Street
22
Arrive at destination
Friend Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.38 one way
$8.76 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.50 | $4.82 | $9.64 |
| premium | $4.86 | $5.21 | $10.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.01 | $12.01 |
Estimated Tolls: $1.04
Maine Turnpike
(17.4 mi)
$1.04
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$1
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Kennebunk, ME
Evening in Kennebunk on Friday
Local time
8:29 PM
EDT
Current temp
37°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
14 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
36m 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 Kennebunk, ME covers 27.2 miles and takes about 36m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Maine Turnpike, I 295, Fletcher 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 13.6 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 $4.38 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 16 decision points packed into just 27.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Brown Street): Navigation decision point; at 1.6 miles (Fore River Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 24 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Portland, ME to Kennebunk, ME, road signs begin pointing toward Kennebunkport 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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