Origin
Bethesda, MD
Morning in Bethesda on Saturday
Local time
11:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 1m
Distance
43.7 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Cape Saint Claire, MD
Jay Johnson
Trip Overview
The drive from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD covers 43.7 miles and takes about 1h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Bethesda Avenue, Arlington Road, Edgemoor Lane for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.24 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 43.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 1m drive with frequent turns across 43.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 22 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Bethesda Avenue is one of the defining roads on this drive.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD is easy. At 1h 1m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bethesda Avenue | — | — |
| Arlington Road | — | — |
| Edgemoor Lane | — | — |
| Wisconsin Avenue | — | — |
| Rockville Pike | — | — |
| Jones Bridge Road | — | — |
| Connecticut Avenue | — | — |
| I 495 East | — | — |
Some road-level metrics are being recalculated.
Longest stretch:
Bethesda Avenue
— detailed segment metrics are refreshing.
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Cape Saint Claire, MD.
1
Start on the route
46 ft
·
5 sec
·
the route
2
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
512 ft
·
25 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
3
Turn left onto Arlington Road
0.3 mi
·
56 sec
·
Arlington Road
4
Turn right onto Edgemoor Lane
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
Edgemoor Lane
5
Turn left onto Wisconsin Avenue
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Wisconsin Avenue
6
Continue on Rockville Pike
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Rockville Pike
7
Turn right onto Jones Bridge Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Jones Bridge Road
8
Turn left onto Connecticut Avenue
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
·
Connecticut Avenue
9
Take the ramp slight right toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
0.2 mi
·
32 sec
·
I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
10
Merge slight left onto Capital Beltway
14 mi
·
18 min
·
Capital Beltway
11
Take the exit slight right toward US 50 East: Annapolis
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
US 50 East: Annapolis
12
Merge slight left onto John Hanson Highway
19 mi
·
21 min
·
John Hanson Highway
13
Continue on Blue Star Memorial Highway
4.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Blue Star Memorial Highway
14
Take the exit slight right toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road
15
Continue on Busch's Frontage Road
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
·
Busch's Frontage Road
16
Turn left onto Saint Margarets Road
0.1 mi
·
23 sec
·
Saint Margarets Road
17
Continue on Cape Saint Claire Road
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Cape Saint Claire Road
18
Turn left onto Hilltop Drive
0.2 mi
·
37 sec
·
Hilltop Drive
19
Turn left onto Blue Ridge Drive
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
·
Blue Ridge Drive
20
Turn right onto Hampton Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Hampton Road
21
Turn left onto Dogwood Tree Drive
312 ft
·
14 sec
·
Dogwood Tree Drive
22
Arrive at your destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 21.9 mi from Bethesda, MD · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.9 miles from Bethesda, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Cape Saint Claire, MD
The final approach into Cape Saint Claire, MD usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.24 one way
$14.49 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.93 | $15.87 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.48 | $16.95 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.65 | $19.30 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.59 | $2.10 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.75 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.5 | 0 | $6.12 | $2.80 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Cape Saint Claire, MD
Morning in Cape Saint Claire on Saturday
Local time
11:23 AM
EDT
Current temp
71°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
4 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
1h 1m 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 Cape Saint Claire, MD covers 43.7 miles and takes about 1h 1m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Bethesda Avenue, Arlington Road, Edgemoor Lane. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 21.9 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 $7.24 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.
The drive from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD is easy. At 1h 1m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
This route does not have any notably tricky sections. Most of the drive from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD is straightforward, with well-signed roads and simple exits.
The route from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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