Origin
Annapolis, MD
Morning in Annapolis on Saturday
Local time
11:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Annapolis, MD to Catonsville, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
30.2 mi
49 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Annapolis, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Catonsville, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Annapolis to Catonsville is 30.2 miles and takes about 39 minutes via I 97, Baltimore Beltway, and John Hanson Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip primarily within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region into another part of the Northeast. Expect a drive that's mostly highway, making it a quick connection between these two points. It's a practical route for anyone needing to travel between these locations without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 30.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This route offers a mixed drive, with 58% of it on highways. You'll experience stretches on I 97, the Baltimore Beltway, and the John Hanson Highway. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 17.4 miles on I 97, providing a good opportunity for steady progress. The character of the drive is largely that of efficient highway travel, designed for direct transit rather than leisurely sightseeing. Expect the road conditions to remain consistent for most of the journey.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 97 is the longest continuous segment at about 17.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MD 450 / College Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 30.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 450 / College Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles (I 97): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 450 / College Avenue
Enter roundabout onto MD 450 / College Avenue
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
7
4 mi into trip
|
~6m in
Take the exit toward I 97 North: Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 21
Toward I 97 North: Baltimore
6
11.5 mi into trip
|
~15m in
|
I 97
Keep slight left at fork onto I 97
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
21.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
|
I 97
Take the exit onto I 97 toward I 695 West: Baltimore, Towson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 17A
Toward I 695 West: Baltimore, Towson
7
29.4 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward MD 144: Catonsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13
Toward MD 144: Catonsville
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Annapolis, MD to Catonsville, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Towson along the way.
Towson
21.9 mi in
|
~27m
|
via I 97
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 97 | 17.4 mi | 20m |
| Baltimore Beltway | 6.5 mi | 8m |
| John Hanson Highway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Roscoe Rowe Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Frederick Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Bladen Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| College Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| School Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 97
— 17.4 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Annapolis, MD and Catonsville, MD.
1
Start on School Street
137 ft
·
6 sec
·
School Street
2
Enter roundabout onto MD 450
77 ft
·
1 sec
·
College Avenue
3
Continue on MD 450
343 ft
·
7 sec
·
College Avenue
4
Turn left onto MD 70
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
Bladen Street
5
Continue on MD 70
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Roscoe Rowe Boulevard
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
7
Continue on US 50; US 301; MD 2
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
John Hanson Highway
8
Take the exit
0.9 mi
·
1 min
Exit 21
Toward I 97 North: Baltimore
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 97 North: Baltimore
10
Continue on I 97
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
I 97
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 97
10 mi
·
11 min
·
I 97
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit onto I 97
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
I 97
Exit 17A
Toward I 695 West: Baltimore, Towson
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto I 695
6.5 mi
·
8 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
Use the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 13
Toward MD 144: Catonsville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Turn left onto MD 144
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Frederick Road
Use the straight lane.
16
Turn right
37 ft
·
2 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.01 one way
$10.01 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.48 | $10.97 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.86 | $11.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.67 | $13.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.17 | $1.45 |
| Efficient EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.64 | $1.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.1 | 0 | $4.23 | $1.93 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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.
Destination
Catonsville, MD
Morning in Catonsville on Saturday
Local time
11:39 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
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
2 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
39m 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 Annapolis, MD to Catonsville, MD covers 30.2 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 97, Baltimore Beltway, John Hanson Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 15.1 miles from Annapolis, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.01 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 is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 30.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 450 / College Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.5 miles (I 97): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Annapolis, MD to Catonsville, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Towson along the way.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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