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. Here is what to know before you leave: the route, the tolls, stops worth making, parking at the other end, and why Saco makes a better base than staying in Old Orchard Beach itself.

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, you are about five minutes from Saco Bay Hotel and ten minutes from the Old Orchard Beach pier.

The Maine Turnpike begins at the New Hampshire border in Kittery. Old Orchard Beach and Saco are served by Maine Turnpike Exit 35.

Actual Drive Times

  • 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)
  • Best departure windows on summer Fridays: before noon, or after 7:30 PM
  • From Portland, Maine: 20 minutes (19 miles)

Leaving Boston before 10 AM or after 7:30 PM on a summer Friday changes the experience significantly. Midday Saturday and Sunday are manageable in both directions.

Tolls

Both New Hampshire and Maine charge tolls on I-95. Maine takes cash and E-ZPass at all plazas. No all-electronic pay-by-plate, so you will not get a bill in the mail if you forget your transponder.

  • Maine Turnpike full length (Kittery to Augusta): $7.00 cash, roughly $6.05 to $6.70 with E-ZPass
  • New Hampshire Turnpike (I-95 through NH): about $4.00 total northbound
  • Total tolls Boston to Saco one way: roughly $6 to $10 depending on how you pay

A Maine-issued E-ZPass offers up to 40 percent off for frequent travelers (40-plus trips per month). Worth it if you are coming up multiple times a season.

Stops Worth Making

Portsmouth, NH (about 56 miles from Boston)

Exit 7 from I-95 puts you in Market Square, 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.

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/Kennebunkport (about 81 miles from Boston)

Exit 25. Upscale coastal village, good for a lunch stop before the last stretch into Saco. Dock Square has solid restaurants. Goose Rocks Beach and Kennebunk Beach are both nearby if you want a preview of the Maine coast before you arrive.

Parking at Old Orchard Beach

This is the main challenge for anyone driving into OOB without a hotel room in town.

  • Municipal lots and street parking: $3 per hour, Memorial Day through Labor Day
  • Private lots near the pier: $20 to $40 on peak summer weekends
  • Cheaper lots further from the pier: $5 to $10
  • Free residential street parking: side streets north and south of downtown, 10 to 15 minute walk
  • Milliken Street area: 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 lots fill. On July 4th weekend, this is not negotiable. Convenient parking is gone by early afternoon.

The Amtrak Downeaster

If you would rather not drive, the Amtrak Downeaster runs from Boston North Station to Old Orchard Beach station, which sits within 100 yards of the beach.

  • Travel time: about 2 hours 11 minutes
  • Fares starting at: $28 to $32 one way
  • Station address: 11 First Street, Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
  • Seasonal service (approximately May through mid-October). Not all trains stop at OOB. Check the timetable at amtrakdowneaster.com.
  • Sample schedule: Train 681 departs Boston 8:50 AM, arrives OOB 11:25 AM

For a day trip to OOB from Boston, the train eliminates parking costs and Friday traffic entirely. It is 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 is the natural first stop off the highway.

From Saco Bay Hotel, the OOB pier is a 10-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 have done it both ways prefer the Saco base.

Before You Leave Boston

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 will arrive before the heavy traffic builds.