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Trip from Bowie, 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

29m

Distance

19.5 mi

31 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Fair

2 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 27m ★
6 AM
0h 29m
8 AM
0h 34m
10 AM
0h 31m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 31m
5 PM
0h 34m
8 PM
0h 28m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Bowie, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Cape Saint Claire, MD, MD

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Jay Johnson

Trip Overview

The drive from Bowie, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD covers 19.5 miles and takes about 29m 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, Blue Star Memorial Highway, Cape Saint Claire Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.8 miles on John Hanson Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.23 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John Hanson Highway 10.8 mi 12m
Blue Star Memorial Highway 4.1 mi 5m
Cape Saint Claire Road 0.9 mi 2m
Collington Road 0.7 mi 1m
US 301 0.7 mi 1m
North East Crain Highway 0.5 mi <1m
Busch's Frontage Road 0.4 mi <1m
Hampton Road 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: John Hanson Highway — 10.8 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bowie, MD and Cape Saint Claire, MD.

1

Start on this road

110 ft · 8 sec · this road
2

Turn right

259 ft · 20 sec
3

Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Evergreen Parkway
4

Turn right onto MD 197

0.7 mi · 1 min · Collington Road
5

Turn left onto US 301

0.5 mi · 47 sec · North East Crain Highway
6

Take the exit onto US 301

0.1 mi · 17 sec · US 301
Toward US 50, US 301: Annapolis, Washington Use the slight right lane.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto US 301

0.6 mi · 1 min · US 301
Toward US 50 East, US 301 North: Annapolis
8

Merge onto US 50; US 301

11 mi · 12 min · John Hanson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Continue on US 50; US 301; MD 2

4.1 mi · 5 min · Blue Star Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 29A Toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Continue on Busch's Frontage Road

0.4 mi · 49 sec · Busch's Frontage Road
Use the straight lane.
12

Turn left onto MD 179

0.1 mi · 22 sec · Saint Margarets Road
13

Continue on MD 179

0.9 mi · 2 min · Cape Saint Claire Road
14

Turn left onto Hilltop Drive

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Hilltop Drive
15

Turn left onto Blue Ridge Drive

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Blue Ridge Drive
16

Turn right onto Hampton Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Hampton Road
17

Turn left onto Dogwood Tree Drive

312 ft · 13 sec · Dogwood Tree Drive
18

Arrive at destination

Dogwood Tree Drive

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 1.5 and 19.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
1.5 mi into trip | ~3m in | US 301

Take the exit onto US 301 toward US 50, US 301: Annapolis, Washington

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward US 50, US 301: Annapolis, Washington
6
1.6 mi into trip | ~3m in | US 301

Keep slight right at fork onto US 301 toward US 50 East, US 301 North: Annapolis

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward US 50 East, US 301 North: Annapolis
5
2.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | US 50; US 301 / John Hanson Highway

Merge onto US 50; US 301 / John Hanson Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.1 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 29A Toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Fr...
5
19.4 mi into trip | ~29m in | Dogwood Tree Drive

Turn left onto Dogwood Tree Drive

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$3.23 one way

$6.47 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 7 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $3.54 $7.08
premium $4.93 $3.78 $7.56
diesel $5.61 $4.31 $8.61

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 6.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 5.9 0 $2.05 $0.94
Efficient EV 4.9 0 $1.71 $0.78
EV Truck/SUV 7.8 0 $2.73 $1.25

Gas CO2

7 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (71% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Bowie, MD

Afternoon in Bowie on Saturday

Local time

4:33 PM

EDT

Current temp

68°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Afternoon in Cape Saint Claire on Saturday

Local time

4:33 PM

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

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

29m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

19.5 mi in 29m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on John Hanson Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

6/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 1.5 miles in near US 301.

Driving Effort 6/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 19.5 miles you will encounter 12 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (US 301): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.6 miles (US 301): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.2 miles (US 50; US 301 / John Hanson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Bowie, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Washington along the way.

Washington

1.5 mi in | ~3m | via US 301

About the Cities

Starting in Bowie, MD

Full guide →

Bowie is a suburban bedroom community of Washington, D.C. in Prince George's County, Maryland.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 19.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

29m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on John Hanson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Cape Saint Claire, MD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

The main spots that need attention: at 1.5 miles (US 301): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.6 miles (US 301): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.2 miles (US 50; US 301 / John Hanson Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cape Saint Claire, MD before heading back.

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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