Origin
Bowie, MD
Afternoon in Bowie on Saturday
Local time
3:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bowie, MD to Middletown, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 19m
Distance
53.4 mi
86 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Middletown, MD
Jonathan Borba
Trip Overview
The drive from Bowie, MD to Middletown, MD covers 53.4 miles and takes about 1h 19m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Crain Highway, North West Crain Highway, Rock Point Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 38.1 miles on Crain Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.85 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Crain Highway | 38.1 mi | 55m |
| North West Crain Highway | 7.5 mi | 10m |
| Rock Point Road | 7 mi | 10m |
| Collington Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Evergreen Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Crain Highway
— 38.1 mi, about 55m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bowie, MD and Middletown, 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
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Collington Road
5
Turn right onto US 301
7.5 mi
·
10 min
·
North West Crain Highway
Use the straight lane.
6
Continue on US 301
38 mi
·
55 min
·
Crain Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit onto Crain Highway
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
·
Crain Highway
8
Turn left onto MD 257
7.0 mi
·
10 min
·
Rock Point Road
9
Arrive at destination
MD 257
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.7 miles from Bowie, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 65 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 46.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Evergreen Parkway
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
Navigation decision point
3
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
MD 197 / Collington Road
Turn right onto MD 197 / Collington Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
US 301 / North West Crain Highway
Turn right onto US 301 / North West Crain Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight lane.
3
46.3 mi into trip
|
~1h 8m in
|
Crain Highway
Take the exit onto Crain Highway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.85 one way
$17.71 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.70 | $19.39 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.36 | $20.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.79 | $23.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16 | 0 | $5.61 | $2.56 |
| Efficient EV | 13.4 | 0 | $4.67 | $2.14 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.4 | 0 | $7.48 | $3.42 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Middletown, MD
Afternoon in Middletown on Saturday
Local time
3:38 PM
EDT
Current temp
92°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 13 mph
0% 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
24 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
1h 19m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
53.4 mi in 1h 19m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
9 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 38.1 mi on Crain Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
2/10
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. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Bowie, MD to Middletown, MD is easy. At 1h 19m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Evergreen Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (MD 197 / Collington Road): Navigation decision point.
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.
Arriving in Middletown, MD
Full guide →Middletown is a city in Frederick County with a population of about 2,600 people.
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 1h 19m. Total distance: 53.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m 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
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 38.1 miles on Crain Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (Evergreen Parkway): Navigation decision point; at 0.3 miles (MD 197 / Collington Road): Navigation decision point.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Middletown, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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