Origin
Bethesda, MD
Morning in Bethesda on Friday
Local time
6:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bethesda, MD to Friendly, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
23.1 mi
37 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Friendly, MD
Iqbal farooz
Trip Overview
The drive from Bethesda, MD to Friendly, MD covers 23.1 miles and takes about 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Anacostia Freeway, Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Indian Head Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 5.7 miles on Anacostia Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.83 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 23.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Bethesda, MD to Friendly, MD covers 23.1 miles and takes about 45m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 31 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Anacostia Freeway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.7 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 around 2 miles in near MD 396 / Massachusetts Avenue.
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 23 decision points packed into just 23.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles (MD 396 / Massachusetts Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (Maine Avenue Southwest): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles (Maine Avenue Southwest): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 23 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
2 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
MD 396 / Massachusetts Avenue
At end of road, turn left onto MD 396 / Massachusetts Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
7
9.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Maine Avenue Southwest
Keep slight right at fork onto Maine Avenue Southwest
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
9.4 mi into trip
|
~22m in
|
Maine Avenue Southwest
Keep slight left at fork onto Maine Avenue Southwest
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
18.3 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Indian Head
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward Indian Head
7
19.2 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 210 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MD 210 South
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 Bethesda, MD to Friendly, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Indian Head along the way.
Indian Head
18.3 mi in
|
~37m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Anacostia Freeway | 5.7 mi | 8m |
| Massachusetts Avenue Northwest | 3.9 mi | 11m |
| Indian Head Highway | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| Southeast Freeway | 2.4 mi | 4m |
| Little Falls Parkway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Old Fort Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Anacostia Freeway
— 5.7 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Friendly, MD.
1
Start on this road
44 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
510 ft
·
21 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
3
Turn right onto Arlington Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Arlington Road
4
At end of road, turn left onto Little Falls Parkway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Little Falls Parkway
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
At end of road, turn left onto MD 396
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
Use the left / right lanes.
6
Enter roundabout onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
340 ft
·
5 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
7
Continue on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
8
Enter roundabout onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
225 ft
·
5 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
9
Continue on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
2.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
Use the straight lane.
10
Enter roundabout onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
272 ft
·
4 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
11
Continue on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
486 ft
·
19 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
12
Turn right onto 22nd Street Northwest
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
22nd Street Northwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
13
Continue on 23rd Street Northwest
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
23rd Street Northwest
14
Enter roundabout onto Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
0.1 mi
·
17 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
15
Continue on Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
Use the right lane.
16
Turn right onto 17th Street Northwest
0.5 mi
·
51 sec
·
17th Street Northwest
17
Continue on 17th Street Southwest
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
17th Street Southwest
18
Turn straight onto Independence Avenue Southwest
293 ft
·
9 sec
·
Independence Avenue Southwest
19
Continue on Independence Avenue Southwest
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Independence Avenue Southwest
Use the left / straight lanes.
20
Keep slight right at fork onto Maine Avenue Southwest
0.3 mi
·
28 sec
·
Maine Avenue Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
21
Keep slight left at fork onto Maine Avenue Southwest
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Maine Avenue Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
22
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
Toward I 395 North
23
Merge onto I 395
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Southwest Freeway
24
Keep slight left at fork onto I 695
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Southeast Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Continue on I 695
0.5 mi
·
55 sec
·
Southeast Freeway
Exit 2A
Toward I 295 South
26
Merge onto I 295
5.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Anacostia Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
27
Keep slight right at fork
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Toward Indian Head
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
28
Keep slight left at fork
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Toward MD 210 South
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Merge onto MD 210
2.7 mi
·
4 min
·
Indian Head Highway
30
Turn left onto Old Fort Road
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Fort Road
31
Arrive at destination
1 ft
·
Old Fort Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.83 one way
$7.66 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.19 | $8.39 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.48 | $8.96 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.10 | $10.20 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| Efficient EV | 5.8 | 0 | $2.02 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.23 | $1.48 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Friendly, MD
Morning in Friendly on Friday
Local time
6:10 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°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
1 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
45m 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 Bethesda, MD to Friendly, MD covers 23.1 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Anacostia Freeway, Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Indian Head Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.5 miles from Bethesda, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.83 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 23 decision points packed into just 23.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2 miles (MD 396 / Massachusetts Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (Maine Avenue Southwest): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.4 miles (Maine Avenue Southwest): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Bethesda, MD to Friendly, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Indian Head along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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