How far is Southwest Harbor, ME from South Portland, ME?

The driving distance from Southwest Harbor, ME to South Portland, ME is about 164.2 miles (264.2 km), with a travel time of about 03h 10m by car.

  • The straight-line flight distance is about 105 miles (169 km).
  • For a round trip, plan for roughly 06h 20m of driving time before adding stops, traffic, or weather delays.
  • A comfortable departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT.
Trip Tools

Reverse, save, or send this route

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay. Copy the route link, send it to another device, or print a clean version before you head out.

Reverse Route
Quick Snapshot
Road
164.17 mi
03h 10m
Flight
104.99 mi
168.97 km direct

This drive is better planned with a longer stop or an overnight stay.

Learn Distance

Choose another destination from Southwest Harbor.

Flight Distance

Direct air line
104.99 mi
Kilometers
168.97 km
Flight Time
00h 12m

Driving Distance

Road route
164.17 mi
Kilometers
264.21 km
Drive Time
03h 10m

Gas Cost Calculator

Leave and Arrive Planner

Pick a departure time to see your estimated arrival and same-day return window.

Drive time stays fixed at 03h 10m.

Arrival Snapshot
Arrive in South Portland
Sun, May 31, 1:31 AM EDT
Return by in Southwest Harbor
Sun, May 31, 4:42 AM EDT
Useful when you're deciding between a quick errand, a day trip, or a longer stop.
Leave Southwest Harbor
2026-05-30T22:21
Arrive South Portland
Sun, May 31, 1:31 AM EDT
Route Timing
03h 10m
One way by road
Best Departure Window
6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT
Leave early for more breathing room
Arrive between
9:10 AM to 11:10 AM EDT

An early departure helps you fit a real stop into the day without turning the return into a late-night drive.

Leave by
10:40 AM EDT
Keeps a same-day return open with about 04h 00m at the destination.
Back in Southwest Harbor
9:00 PM EDT
Early departure recommended

You are leaving earlier than the recommended window, which gives you extra margin for breaks and traffic.

Halfway Point

A useful midpoint for breaks, coffee, or meeting in the middle.

Mid-route stop
Palermo
ME

Town in Waldo County, Maine, United States of America

From Southwest Harbor
80.9 mi
01h 35m
To South Portland
83.3 mi
01h 35m

Route Weather Snapshot

Check the forecast at both ends before you head out.

Origin
Southwest Harbor Weather
ME
Live fallback forecast
54°F
This Afternoon
Using Blue Hill as the closest live forecast in the Hancock County weather hub.

Partly Sunny

Starts
Sat, May 30 3:00 PM EDT
Wind
12 to 15 mph NE
Destination
South Portland Weather
ME
Live fallback forecast
53°F
This Afternoon
Using Portland as the closest live forecast in the Cumberland County weather hub.

Mostly Cloudy

Starts
Sat, May 30 3:00 PM EDT
Wind
15 to 20 mph N

Driving Route Map

The map below follows the saved road route between Southwest Harbor and South Portland.

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Southwest Harbor and South Portland.

  1. 1

    Start on Clark Point Road

    72 m · 8 sec · Clark Point Road

  2. 2

    Turn right onto Main Street

    7 mi · 10 min · Main Street

  3. 3

    Continue on State Highway 102

    3.5 mi · 5 min · State Highway 102

  4. 4

    Continue on Triangle Road

    696 ft · 18 sec · Triangle Road

  5. 5

    At the end of the road, turn left onto State Highway 3

    739 ft · 18 sec · State Highway 3

  6. 6

    Continue on Bar Harbor Road

    6.7 mi · 12 min · Bar Harbor Road

  7. 7

    Continue on High Street

    1.1 km · 2 min · High Street

  8. 8

    Turn left onto Beechland Road

    1 mi · 2 min · Beechland Road

  9. 9

    At the end of the road, turn right onto Bayside Road

    1 mi · 2 min · Bayside Road

  10. 10

    Continue on Water Street

    1.3 km · 1 min · Water Street

  11. 11

    Turn left onto West Main Street

    806 ft · 12 sec · West Main Street

  12. 12

    Keep slight right to continue on Main Street

    85 m · 4 sec · Main Street

  13. 13

    Continue on Bucksport Road

    8.5 mi · 10 min · Bucksport Road

  14. 14

    Continue on Acadia Highway

    9.4 mi · 11 min · Acadia Highway

  15. 15

    Continue on Route 1

    1.6 km · 1 min · Route 1

  16. 16

    Continue on Main Street

    41 m · 9 sec · Main Street

  17. 17

    Turn left onto Route 1

    682 ft · 17 sec · Route 1

  18. 18

    Continue on US Highway 1

    1.2 mi · 3 min · US Highway 1

  19. 19

    Continue on Route 1

    13.4 mi · 16 min · Route 1

  20. 20

    Continue on Searsport Avenue

    2.7 mi · 5 min · Searsport Avenue

  21. 21

    Continue on Route 1

    1.1 km · 1 min · Route 1

  22. 22

    Take the exit slight right

    1414 ft · 39 sec

  23. 23

    Keep slight right

    114 m · 10 sec

  24. 24

    Merge slight left onto Belmont Avenue

    3.9 mi · 5 min · Belmont Avenue

  25. 25

    Continue on Augusta Road

    4.8 mi · 5 min · Augusta Road

  26. 26

    Continue on Belfast Augusta Road East

    3.4 mi · 4 min · Belfast Augusta Road East

  27. 27

    Continue on Acadia Highway

    4 mi · 4 min · Acadia Highway

  28. 28

    Continue on Belfast Augusta Road

    17.6 mi · 21 min · Belfast Augusta Road

  29. 29

    Continue on Belfast Road

    1077 ft · 17 sec · Belfast Road

  30. 30

    Continue on North Belfast Avenue

    8.1 mi · 12 min · North Belfast Avenue

  31. 31

    Turn left onto North Belfast Avenue

    1.6 km · 2 min · North Belfast Avenue

  32. 32

    At the end of the road, turn left onto Bangor Street

    2936 ft · 54 sec · Bangor Street

  33. 33

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 2 toward Cony Circle

    49 m · 3 sec · Memorial Drive

  34. 34

    Exit the rotary onto Memorial Drive

    1.1 km · 2 min · Memorial Drive

  35. 35

    Enter the roundabout and take exit 3 toward Memorial Circle

    122 m · 7 sec · State Street

  36. 36

    Exit the rotary onto State Street

    1007 ft · 19 sec · State Street

  37. 37

    Turn right onto Capitol Street

    1.3 km · 1 min · Capitol Street

  38. 38

    Turn straight onto Armory Street

    915 ft · 20 sec · Armory Street

  39. 39

    Turn left onto Western Avenue

    1.1 km · 1 min · Western Avenue

  40. 40

    Take the exit slight right toward I 95: Portland, Waterville, Bangor

    1829 ft · 44 sec

  41. 41

    Keep slight left to continue on I-95 South: Portland, Kittery

    3262 ft · 1 min

  42. 42

    Merge slight left onto Maine Turnpike

    5.9 mi · 6 min · Maine Turnpike

  43. 43

    Keep slight right to continue on I 295 South, ME 9, ME 126: Gardiner, Brunswick

    46.5 mi · 53 min

  44. 44

    Take the exit slight right toward US 1A

    2130 ft · 1 min

  45. 45

    Turn right onto Marginal Way

    2795 ft · 1 min · Marginal Way

  46. 46

    Continue on State Street

    1.6 km · 2 min · State Street

  47. 47

    Continue on Casco Bay Bridge

    1.1 mi · 2 min · Casco Bay Bridge

  48. 48

    Continue on Broadway

    1.6 km · 2 min · Broadway

  49. 49

    Turn sharp right onto Pine Street

    18 m · 3 sec · Pine Street

  50. 50

    Arrive at your destination

    0 m · 1 sec · Pine Street

Car Route Details

A richer read on the saved driving route between Southwest Harbor and South Portland.

OSRM road route
Drive Character

Turn-heavy local drive

The route has frequent decision points for its length, so lane choice and turn timing will matter more than cruising speed.

Directions
50 steps
18 turns on the saved route
Ramps & Exits
9
2 merges, 7 ramps or exits
Navigation Density
30.5 / 100 mi
Decision points by distance
Main Roads
I 295 South
46.5 mi · 28%
Belfast Augusta Road
17.6 mi · 11%
Route 1
15.5 mi · 9%
Acadia Highway
13.4 mi · 8%
North Belfast Avenue
9.05 mi · 6%
Bucksport Road
8.5 mi · 5%
Longest Stretch

I 295 South

Keep slight right to continue on I 295 South, ME 9, ME 126: Gardiner, Brunswick

46.5 mi · 00h 53m

Route Summary

A quick read on whether this route feels easy, ambitious, or worth planning around.

Trip Read

A longer out-and-back drive

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

Drive Time
03h 10m
Long day trip
Same-Day Return
06h 20m
Round-trip wheel time
Road vs Air
+59.2 mi
105 mi direct line
Halfway Stop
Palermo
01h 35m from Southwest Harbor
Leave By
10:40 AM EDT
Early departure recommended
Weather Watch

Partly Sunny leaving Southwest Harbor and Mostly Cloudy near South Portland.

Trip Questions

Direct answers travelers usually want before committing to the drive.

How long does it take to drive from Southwest Harbor to South Portland?

The road trip is about 164.2 miles (264.2 km) and usually takes 03h 10m in normal driving conditions.

Is this a same-day trip or an overnight route?

This is still possible in one day, but it becomes a long driving day. Leaving early and planning your stop window matters more here.

What is the halfway point on this route?

Palermo is a useful midpoint, sitting about 80.9 miles from Southwest Harbor and 83.3 miles from South Portland.

How much longer is the road route than the straight-line distance?

The direct path is about 105 miles (169 km), while the road route adds roughly 59.2 extra miles because roads do not follow the straight air line.

When is the best time to leave for this route?

A good departure window is usually 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM EDT. If you want a more comfortable same-day return, try to leave by 10:40 AM EDT.

How much will gas cost for this route?

Using about 28.3 MPG, regular gas is estimated at $22.84 one way or $45.68 round trip. Estimated CO2 is about 51.5 kg one way.

What should you check before leaving?

Before you leave, expect Partly Sunny around Southwest Harbor and Mostly Cloudy near South Portland.

Stop Ideas Near Palermo

Useful break, food, and waypoint ideas within about 15 miles of the route midpoint.

Mid-route Guidance
Local place coverage is thin around Palermo, so nearby transit and meeting points are shown instead.
Reviewed stop coverage is still thin around this midpoint, so practical transit waypoints are shown on the right.

Transit and Meeting Points

Useful pickup, handoff, or rendezvous points close to Palermo.

BUS

Augusta, ME

26 mi away
9 Industrial Drive
BUS

Waldoboro, Maine

35 mi away
US hwy 1 and hwy 32
BUS

Belfast, Maine

36 mi away
Belmont Ave & US Hwy 1
BUS

Camden/Rockport, Maine

38 mi away
234 Park St.

Flight Path Map

This map shows the direct air route between Southwest Harbor and South Portland. Straight-line distance: 104.99 mi (168.97 km).

Southwest Harbor

#1 Southwest Harbor

City in Hancock County, Maine, United States of America

Population1,793
Coordinates44.2798000, -68.3250200
Altitude13
CountryUnited States
South Portland

#2 South Portland

City in Cumberland County, Maine, USA

Population25,950
Coordinates43.6414700, -70.2408800
Altitude7
CountryUnited States
Start: Clark Point Road (-68.324997, 44.27984)
End: Pine Street (-70.240981, 43.641461)

Estimated Travel Time

Distance: 264 km by road

SpeedTime
30 mph (48.3 km/h)05h 28m
40 mph (64.37 km/h)04h 06m
50 mph (80.47 km/h)03h 17m
60 mph (96.56 km/h)02h 44m
70 mph (112.65 km/h)02h 20m
80 mph (129 km/h)02h 02m

Fuel, Round Trip and CO2

Estimated fuel cost and emissions for this route.

One-way fuel
5.79 gal
21.93 L · about $22.84
Round trip
$45.68
11.58 gal · 43.86 L
Estimated CO2
51.5 kg one way
Round trip: 102.9 kg / 227 lb CO2, using regular gasoline.
Fuel$/galOne wayRound trip
Regular gas $3.95 $22.84 $45.68
Mid-grade $4.46 $25.81 $51.61
Premium $4.86 $28.13 $56.26
Diesel $6.00 $34.72 $69.45

Assumes 8.3 L/100 km (about 28.3 MPG). CO2 is an estimate and varies by vehicle, fuel blend, traffic, and terrain.

Prices in Maine · May 31, 2026

There is no time difference between Southwest Harbor and South Portland. The current time is 22:21:40.

Distance to Other Cities

Planning a road trip? See the full trip guide on Trip.ovh — stops, fuel costs, weather, and departure timing.

How did we calculate? Place names are translated into coordinates. The Haversine formula calculates straight-line distance; driving distance uses road network data.