Old Orchard Beach is about 96 miles from Boston on I-95. Under two hours in good traffic. On a summer Friday afternoon, plan for three to four. The guests who've done this drive the most know when to leave and when not to. This is what they know.
The Route
Straightforward: Boston to I-93 North to I-95 North through New Hampshire to the Maine Turnpike (also I-95) to Exit 35, Saco. From Exit 35, which opened in late 2025 and connects straight to Route 112 (North Street), you're about five minutes from Saco Bay Hotel and ten minutes from the Old Orchard Beach pier. Older GPS maps may still route you to Exit 36 (I-195). That works too, but Exit 35 is the closer exit for the hotel. The Maine Turnpike begins at the New Hampshire border in Kittery.
Actual Drive Times
In normal conditions: 1 hour 37 to 48 minutes. Summer Friday afternoon: 2.5 to 4 hours. I-95 northbound through New Hampshire and into Maine is consistently heavy from roughly 2 PM through 8 PM. From Portland, Maine: 20 minutes.
Leaving Boston before 10 AM or after 7:30 PM on a summer Friday changes the experience completely. Midday Saturday and Sunday are manageable in both directions. The people who've figured this out are the ones who show up at the hotel looking relaxed on a Friday evening. Book direct for the best rate.
Tolls
Both New Hampshire and Maine charge tolls on I-95. Maine still takes cash and E-ZPass at its plazas, and there's no pay-by-plate billing, so you won't get a bill in the mail if you forget your transponder. Expect a mainline plaza in York shortly after the border, then a toll at the Saco exit.
Boston to Saco one way usually totals well under $15 in tolls. E-ZPass is noticeably cheaper than cash, and Maine's frequent-traveler discount program gives regular commuters an extra rebate. Get exact current rates from the Maine Turnpike Authority before you go.
Stops Worth Making
Portsmouth, NH (about 56 miles from Boston)
Exit 7 from I-95, roughly 40 minutes outside Boston. Cobblestone streets, local restaurants, craft breweries, the Strawbery Banke Museum. A good breakfast or lunch stop before the Maine border. Portsmouth is a legitimately good small city that most people drive past without stopping.
Kittery Outlets (about 65 miles from Boston)
Right at the Maine border, Exit 3 or Exit 2. Over 120 name-brand outlet stores: Nike, Coach, lululemon, Eddie Bauer, Crate and Barrel, Kittery Trading Post. Savings of 25 to 65 percent. Budget an hour if anyone in the car needs new sandals before the beach.
Kennebunk and Kennebunkport (about 81 miles from Boston)
Exit 25. Upscale coastal village with good restaurants in Dock Square. Goose Rocks Beach and Kennebunk Beach are nearby if you want a preview of the Maine coast before you arrive. Good for a lunch stop before the last stretch into Saco.
Parking at Old Orchard Beach
This is the part of the trip that catches people off guard the first time.
Municipal lots and street parking run $3 per hour, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Private lots near the pier charge $20 to $40 on peak summer weekends. Cheaper lots further from the pier run $5 to $10. Free residential street parking exists on the side streets north and south of downtown, about a 10 to 15 minute walk. Milliken Street area is the local tip: steps from the beach, usually less crowded than the main lots.
Get there before 9 AM on summer weekends to secure parking before the lots fill. On July 4th weekend, this is not negotiable. Convenient parking is gone by early afternoon. Our July 4th guide covers the holiday in detail.
The Amtrak Downeaster
If you'd rather not drive, the Amtrak Downeaster runs from Boston North Station to the Old Orchard Beach station at 11 First Street, within 100 yards of the beach. Travel time is a little over two hours. The OOB stop is seasonal: in 2026 it ran from May 18 to mid-October, with every train stopping except weekday Train 680 and weekend Train 690. There's a self-service ticket kiosk in the Chamber of Commerce building next to the platform.
The Downeaster also stops year-round at the Saco station at the Saco Transportation Center, which is the one to use outside the summer season. Check the current timetable and fares at amtrakdowneaster.com.
For a day trip from Boston, the train eliminates parking costs and Friday traffic entirely. It's the better option if your schedule allows it.
Why Saco Works Better Than Staying in OOB
Old Orchard Beach in July is a resort town operating at full capacity. Great for a day out. Intense for multiple nights. Saco sits directly next to OOB, and Maine Turnpike Exit 35 drops you straight into Saco. It's the natural first stop off the highway.
From Saco Bay Hotel, the OOB pier is about a 7-minute drive. Funtown Splashtown is 1.5 miles away. Ferry Beach State Park is 2 miles. Downtown Biddeford, with some of the most acclaimed restaurants in Maine, is 10 minutes. You can spend your days at the beach and evenings somewhere completely different. Most guests who've done it both ways prefer the Saco setup. See our rooms to get a sense of what's here.
Check the Maine Turnpike's real-time travel time data at maineturnpike.com. The gap between leaving at 11 AM versus 3 PM on a summer Friday is often 45 to 90 minutes. If you can get out before noon, you'll arrive before the heavy traffic builds and before the parking lots fill.