Skip to main content

Trip from Whitefield, ME to Portland, ME

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

Drive Time

1h 22m

Distance

59.1 mi

95 km

Drive Score

8/10

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 16m ★
6 AM
1h 23m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 27m
12 PM
1h 26m
3 PM
1h 28m
5 PM
1h 35m
8 PM
1h 19m

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

Downtown Whitefield, ME, ME

Whitefield, ME

the cinematic

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

Portland, ME

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Embarking on this 59.1-mile journey from Whitefield, ME, to Portland, ME, will take you approximately 1 hour and 22 minutes. This drive is well-suited as a single-day trip, requiring no overnight stays. The route primarily utilizes I-295, with portions on East Pittston Road and Brunswick Avenue, making it a highway-focused experience. Expect the fuel cost to be around $9 for this relatively short, Northeast to Northeast drive within Maine. It's a straightforward trip that gets you from point A to point B efficiently, with a clear path ahead.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 295 42.7 mi 48m
East Pittston Road 5.5 mi 13m
Brunswick Avenue 4.8 mi 7m
Pittston Road 2.7 mi 6m
Water Street 1.3 mi 2m
US 1A 0.7 mi 1m
Bridge Street 0.5 mi <1m
Cumberland Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 295 — 42.7 mi, about 48m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Whitefield, ME and Portland, ME.

1

Start on ME 194

2.7 mi · 6 min · Pittston Road
2

Keep slight right at fork onto ME 194

5.5 mi · 13 min · East Pittston Road
3

Turn right onto ME 27

1.3 mi · 2 min · Water Street
4

Turn left onto ME 9; ME 27; ME 126

0.5 mi · 48 sec · Bridge Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
5

Continue on US 201

4.8 mi · 7 min · Brunswick Avenue
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 44 sec
7

Merge onto I 295

43 mi · 48 min · I 295
Use the straight lane.
8

Take the exit onto US 1A

0.7 mi · 1 min · US 1A
Exit 7 Toward US 1A Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue

0.4 mi · 50 sec · Cumberland Avenue
Use the straight lane.
10

Turn left onto Preble Street

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Preble Street
11

Turn left onto Congress Street

156 ft · 5 sec · Congress Street
12

Arrive at destination

Congress Street

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.

Popular next leg

Brunswick, ME to Portland, ME

26.5 mi · 36m

Pacing Suggestions

Gardiner, ME

Fuel and coffee

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

Freeport, ME

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.6 miles from Whitefield, 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 9.5 and 59.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
9.5 mi into trip | ~22m in | ME 9; ME 27; ME 126 / Bridge Street

Turn left onto ME 9; ME 27; ME 126 / Bridge Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.
5
15.2 mi into trip | ~31m in | I 295

Merge onto I 295

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

Use the straight lane.
7
57.9 mi into trip | ~1h 19m in | US 1A

Take the exit onto US 1A toward US 1A

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 7 Toward US 1A
5
58.6 mi into trip | ~1h 21m in | Cumberland Avenue

Turn right onto Cumberland Avenue

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight lane.
5
59.1 mi into trip | ~1h 22m in | Congress Street

Turn left onto Congress Street

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.51 one way

$19.03 round trip

$4.09/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.50 $10.47 $20.94
premium $4.86 $11.32 $22.63
diesel $5.61 $13.05 $26.10

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$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 17.7 0 $6.21 $2.84
Efficient EV 14.8 0 $5.17 $2.36
EV Truck/SUV 23.6 0 $8.27 $3.78

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

Whitefield, ME

Afternoon in Whitefield on Saturday

Local time

4:34 PM

EDT

Current temp

50°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Portland, ME

Afternoon in Portland on Saturday

Local time

4:34 PM

EDT

Current temp

51°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

1 degrees warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 22m 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?

This drive is predominantly a highway-focused experience, with 73% of the journey on major roadways like I-295. You'll encounter a significant uninterrupted stretch of 42.7 miles on I-295, offering a consistent pace. While the majority is highway, there are segments on East Pittston Road and Brunswick Avenue that may offer a slight change of scenery. The overall feel is one of steady progress, with the focus being on covering distance rather than winding through local byways. It's a predictable drive that allows you to maintain a good speed for most of the trip.

73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 42.7 mi on I 295.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 295 and East Pittston Road. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 9.5 miles in near ME 9; ME 27; ME 126 / Bridge 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 59.1 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 9.5 miles (ME 9; ME 27; ME 126 / Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.2 miles (I 295): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 57.9 miles (US 1A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 22m. Total distance: 59.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 22m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 42.7 miles on I 295. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

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 9.5 miles (ME 9; ME 27; ME 126 / Bridge Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 15.2 miles (I 295): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 57.9 miles (US 1A): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Portland, 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.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Explore more options from Whitefield, ME or browse trips ending in Portland, ME.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse ME road trips.