Origin
Arlington, MD
Morning in Arlington on Friday
Local time
9:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arlington, MD to Bowie, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
55m
Distance
32.9 mi
53 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 51m
★
6 AM
0h 56m
8 AM
1h 5m
10 AM
0h 59m
12 PM
0h 58m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 5m
8 PM
0h 53m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arlington, MD
RDNE Stock project
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Arlington, MD to Bowie, MD covers 32.9 miles and takes about 55m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on MD 3, I 97, Baltimore Beltway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.8 miles on MD 3. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.45 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 55m. Total distance: 32.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 55m highway drive covering 32.9 miles, with most of the trip on MD 3 and I 97. The longest continuous stretch is about 10.8 miles on MD 3.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
MD 3 is the longest continuous segment at about 10.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MD 3 and I 97. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near West Belvedere 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 17 decision points packed into just 32.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Belvedere Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (Denison Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 17 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.2 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
West Belvedere Avenue
Turn right onto West Belvedere Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
5
2.9 mi into trip
|
~8m in
|
Denison Street
Turn right onto Denison Street
Navigation decision point
8
7.5 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the exit toward I 695 East: Glen Burnie, Annapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 49A
Toward I 695 East: Glen Burnie, Annapolis
8
11.4 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 4
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
8
21.1 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
MD 3
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3 toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Arlington, MD and Bowie, MD, road signs point toward Annapolis and Crofton.
Annapolis
7.5 mi in
|
~19m
Crofton
21.1 mi in
|
~36m
|
via MD 3
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MD 3 | 10.8 mi | 16m |
| I 97 | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| Baltimore Beltway | 3.4 mi | 4m |
| Garrison Boulevard | 2 mi | 5m |
| Hilton Parkway | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| North Hilton Street | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| South Caton Avenue | 0.8 mi | 2m |
| Collington Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
MD 3
— 10.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arlington, MD and Bowie, MD.
1
Start on Cuthbert Avenue
0.2 mi
·
43 sec
·
Cuthbert Avenue
2
Turn right onto West Belvedere Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Belvedere Avenue
Use the straight lane.
3
Turn left onto Belvieu Avenue
257 ft
·
9 sec
·
Belvieu Avenue
4
Turn right onto Garrison Boulevard
2.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Garrison Boulevard
5
Turn left onto Windsor Avenue
321 ft
·
13 sec
·
Windsor Avenue
6
Turn right onto Denison Street
394 ft
·
15 sec
·
Denison Street
7
Turn left onto Bloomingdale Road
504 ft
·
19 sec
·
Bloomingdale Road
8
Turn right onto North Hilton Street
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
North Hilton Street
Use the right lane.
9
Continue on US 40 Truck
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Hilton Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Turn straight onto North Hilton Street
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
North Hilton Street
11
Turn straight onto South Caton Avenue
0.8 mi
·
2 min
·
South Caton Avenue
12
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South: Washington
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Merge onto I 95
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 49A
Toward I 695 East: Glen Burnie, Annapolis
Use the slight left lane.
15
Merge onto I 695
3.4 mi
·
4 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
16
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 4
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
Use the slight left lane.
17
Continue on I 97
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
I 97
Use the straight lane.
18
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3
11 mi
·
16 min
·
MD 3
Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton
Use the left lane.
19
Turn right onto MD 197
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Collington Road
Use the left lane.
20
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Evergreen Parkway
21
Turn right
259 ft
·
20 sec
22
Turn left
110 ft
·
8 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 16.4 mi from Arlington, MD · 31m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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 32.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 16.4 miles from Arlington, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Bowie, MD
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Bowie, 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
$5.45 one way
$10.91 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.97 | $11.95 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.38 | $12.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.26 | $14.53 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.45 | $1.58 |
| Efficient EV | 8.2 | 0 | $2.88 | $1.32 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.2 | 0 | $4.61 | $2.11 |
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
Bowie, MD
Morning in Bowie on Friday
Local time
9:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Partly Cloudy
SW 5 mph
4% chance
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
8 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
55m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Arlington, MD to Bowie, MD covers 32.9 miles and takes about 55m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are MD 3, I 97, Baltimore Beltway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 16.4 miles from Arlington, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.45 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 17 decision points packed into just 32.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 55m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (West Belvedere Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.9 miles (Denison Street): Navigation decision point; at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Arlington, MD and Bowie, MD, road signs point toward Annapolis and Crofton.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
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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