Origin
Arnold, MD
Late night in Arnold on Saturday
Local time
4:25 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Arnold, 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
49m
Distance
36.4 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 45m
★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Arnold, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Silver Spring, MD
www.kaboompics.com
Trip Overview
The drive from Arnold, MD to Silver Spring, MD covers 36.4 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on John Hanson Highway, Capital Beltway, Blue Star Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.4 miles on John Hanson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.03 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 36.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 49m drive with frequent turns across 36.4 miles of local and secondary roads.
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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
342 ft
39 ft
Total Climb
350 ft
Total Descent
141 ft
Highest Point
342 ft
~36.4 mi in
Elevation Range
302 ft
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 around 1.2 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 11 decision points packed into just 36.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 11 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
1.2 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward MD 2 South, US 301 South, US 50 West: Annapolis, Washington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MD 2 South, US 301 South, US 50 West: An...
6
22 mi into trip
|
~27m 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
22.4 mi into trip
|
~28m 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
29.9 mi into trip
|
~39m 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
34.1 mi into trip
|
~44m 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 |
| Blue Star Memorial Highway | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Colesville Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Governor Ritchie Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| MD 2 | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Church Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John Hanson Highway
— 18.4 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Arnold, MD and Silver Spring, MD.
1
Start on Church Road
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
Church Road
2
Turn right onto Arnold Road
321 ft
·
16 sec
·
Arnold Road
3
Turn left onto MD 2
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Governor Ritchie Highway
4
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward MD 2 South, US 301 South, US 50 West: Annapolis, Washington
5
Continue on MD 2
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
MD 2
6
Merge onto US 50; US 301; MD 2
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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 18.2 mi from Arnold, MD · 23m 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 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.2 miles from Arnold, 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
$6.03 one way
$12.07 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.61 | $13.22 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.06 | $14.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.04 | $16.07 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
| Efficient EV | 9.1 | 0 | $3.18 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
4:25 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
3 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
49m 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 Arnold, MD to Silver Spring, MD covers 36.4 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are John Hanson Highway, Capital Beltway, Blue Star Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.2 miles from Arnold, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.03 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 11 decision points packed into just 36.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Arnold, MD to Silver Spring, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 39 ft to 342 ft elevation with about 350 ft of total climbing.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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