Origin
Annapolis, MD
Late night in Annapolis on Saturday
Local time
4:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Annapolis, MD to Silver Spring, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
35 mi
56 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 44m
★
6 AM
0h 48m
8 AM
0h 56m
10 AM
0h 51m
12 PM
0h 50m
3 PM
0h 51m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 46m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Annapolis, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Silver Spring, MD
www.kaboompics.com
Trip Overview
Annapolis, MD to Silver Spring, MD is 35 miles and takes about 47 minutes via John Hanson Highway and Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to another Northeast location. Expect a fairly direct route that involves navigating a few turns as you get closer to your destination. It's a short trip, making it ideal for a quick excursion or a necessary commute without a significant time commitment.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 47m. Total distance: 35 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
This is a turn-heavy local drive, with no highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 18.4 miles on the John Hanson Highway. You'll transition from one main road to another, including the Capital Beltway and Colesville Road, so be prepared for changes in traffic patterns and speed limits as you navigate these different sections. The route is designed for direct travel rather than leisurely cruising.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
John Hanson Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 18.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. 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
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 35 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
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 20.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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
6
20.6 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 7B
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silv...
9
21 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 7B
Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
8
28.5 mi into trip
|
~37m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
7
32.7 mi into trip
|
~42m in
Take the exit toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 30
Toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John Hanson Highway | 18.4 mi | 22m |
| Capital Beltway | 11.1 mi | 13m |
| Colesville Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Roscoe Rowe Boulevard | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Bladen Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| College Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
| School Street | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John Hanson Highway
— 18.4 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Annapolis, MD and Silver Spring, 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
18 mi
·
22 min
·
John Hanson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 7B
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
9
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 7B
Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
Use the slight left lane.
10
Merge onto I 95; I 495
6.9 mi
·
8 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 30
Toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Use the right lane.
13
Merge onto US 29
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Colesville Road
14
Turn left onto US 29
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Georgia Avenue
15
Continue on US 29
93 ft
·
9 sec
·
Georgia Avenue
16
Turn right
158 ft
·
13 sec
17
Turn right
85 ft
·
6 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.5 mi from Annapolis, MD · 22m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Annapolis, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Silver Spring, MD
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Silver Spring, MD if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.80 one way
$11.61 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.36 | $12.71 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.79 | $13.58 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.73 | $15.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.5 | 0 | $3.68 | $1.68 |
| Efficient EV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14 | 0 | $4.90 | $2.24 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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.
Destination
Silver Spring, MD
Late night in Silver Spring on Saturday
Local time
4:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
47m 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 Silver Spring, MD covers 35 miles and takes about 47m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are John Hanson Highway, Capital Beltway, Colesville Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.5 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 $5.80 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 35 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 450 / College Avenue): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 20.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Annapolis, MD to Silver Spring, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
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.
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