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Trip from Sanford, ME to Brunswick, ME

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

Drive Time

1h 16m

Distance

59.2 mi

95 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 18 min
4 AM
1h 11m ★
6 AM
1h 17m
8 AM
1h 29m
10 AM
1h 21m
12 PM
1h 20m
3 PM
1h 21m
5 PM
1h 28m
8 PM
1h 13m

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

Downtown Sanford, ME, ME

Sanford, ME

Wikimedia Commons

town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States

Brunswick, ME

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Sanford, ME to Brunswick, ME covers 59.2 miles and takes about 1h 16m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 295, Maine Turnpike, Alfred Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 28.2 miles on I 295. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.53 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 16m. Total distance: 59.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 16m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (68%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 1h 16m highway drive covering 59.2 miles, with most of the trip on I 295 and Maine Turnpike. The longest continuous stretch is about 28.2 miles on I 295.

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 28.2 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 7 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Washington Street.

Driving Effort 5/10

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 59.2 miles you will encounter 7 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 (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 15.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 7 key points

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

4
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | Washington Street

Turn right onto Washington Street

Navigation decision point

4
15.4 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the ramp

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / left lanes.
7
15.5 mi into trip | ~22m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North Toll: Portland, Augusta

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

Toward I 95 North Toll: Portland, Augusta
8
28 mi into trip | ~35m in | I 295

Keep slight right at fork onto I 295 toward Downtown Portland

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 44 Toward Downtown Portland
8
56.2 mi into trip | ~1h 10m in

Take the exit toward US 1: Brunswick, Bath, Coastal Route

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 28 Toward US 1: Brunswick, Bath, Coastal Route

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

Between Sanford, ME and Brunswick, ME, road signs point toward Augusta, Portland, Bath and Coastal Route.

Augusta

15.5 mi in | ~22m

Portland

28 mi in | ~35m | via I 295

Bath

56.2 mi in | ~1h 10m

Coastal Route

56.2 mi in | ~1h 10m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 295 28.2 mi 34m
Maine Turnpike 12.2 mi 13m
Alfred Road 8.2 mi 9m
Sanford Road 2.4 mi 3m
Biddeford Road 1.8 mi 2m
Pleasant Street 1.7 mi 4m
Alfred Street 1.4 mi 1m
Cottage Street 1.2 mi 3m
Longest stretch: I 295 — 28.2 mi, about 34m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Sanford, ME and Brunswick, ME.

1

Start on this road

89 ft · 8 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Washington Street

0.1 mi · 23 sec · Washington Street
3

Continue on River Street

0.2 mi · 26 sec · River Street
4

Turn right onto US 202; ME 4A

1.2 mi · 3 min · Cottage Street
5

Continue on US 202; ME 4A

2.4 mi · 3 min · Sanford Road
6

Continue on ME 111

1.8 mi · 2 min · Biddeford Road
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
7

Continue on ME 111

8.2 mi · 9 min · Alfred Road
8

Continue on ME 111

1.4 mi · 1 min · Alfred Street
9

Take the ramp

0.1 mi · 1 min
Use the straight / left lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 33 sec
Toward I 95 North Toll: Portland, Augusta
11

Merge onto I 95

12 mi · 13 min · Maine Turnpike
12

Keep slight right at fork onto I 295

28 mi · 34 min · I 295
Exit 44 Toward Downtown Portland Use the slight right lane.
13

Take the exit

1.3 mi · 2 min
Exit 28 Toward US 1: Brunswick, Bath, Coastal Route Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on US 1

1.7 mi · 4 min · Pleasant Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
15

Arrive at destination

Pleasant Street

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 29.6 mi from Sanford, ME · 37m into the drive

seat of Cumberland County, and largest city in State of Maine, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Portland, 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

Biddeford, ME

Fuel and coffee

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

South Portland Gardens, ME

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.6 miles from Sanford, ME, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Brunswick, ME

The final approach into Brunswick, 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

$9.53 one way

$19.06 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $10.49 $20.97
premium $4.86 $11.34 $22.67
diesel $5.61 $13.07 $26.14

Estimated Tolls: $0.73

Maine Turnpike (12.2 mi) $0.73

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Tolls

$1

Total

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.7 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 17.8 0 $6.22 $2.84
Efficient EV 14.8 0 $5.18 $2.37
EV Truck/SUV 23.7 0 $8.29 $3.79

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 15, 2026

Origin

Sanford, ME

Late night in Sanford on Saturday

Local time

12:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Brunswick, ME

Late night in Brunswick on Saturday

Local time

12:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

46°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

51°F

Portland, 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

5 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 16m 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 Sanford, ME to Brunswick, ME covers 59.2 miles and takes about 1h 16m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 295, Maine Turnpike, Alfred Road. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 29.6 miles from Sanford, ME. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $9.53 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 59.2 miles you will encounter 7 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 (Washington Street): Navigation decision point; at 15.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 15.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Between Sanford, ME and Brunswick, ME, road signs point toward Augusta, Portland, Bath and Coastal Route.

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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