Origin
Bowie, MD
Late night in Bowie on Saturday
Local time
4:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bowie, MD to Parkville, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
57m
Distance
39.3 mi
63 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 53m
★
6 AM
0h 58m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 1m
5 PM
1h 7m
8 PM
0h 55m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Parkville, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Bowie, MD to Parkville, MD covers 39.3 miles and takes about 57m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 97, Robert Crain Highway, Harbor Tunnel Thruway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.4 miles on I 97. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.52 one way before food or hotel costs.
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 57m. Total distance: 39.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 57m drive with frequent turns across 39.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 20 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 97 is the longest continuous segment at about 10.4 miles.
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 early in the drive.
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 14 decision points packed into just 39.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 11.4 miles (I 97): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 34 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
5
11.4 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
I 97
Merge onto I 97
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
34 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward I 695 West, I 695 East: Towson, Essex
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 64
Toward I 695 West, I 695 East: Towson, Essex
5
34.5 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 695 West: Towson
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 695 West: Towson
7
38.1 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Take the exit toward MD 147 South: Parkville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 31A
Toward MD 147 South: Parkville
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 Parkville, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Essex along the way.
Essex
34 mi in
|
~48m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 97 | 10.4 mi | 12m |
| Robert Crain Highway | 7.1 mi | 11m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 7 mi | 10m |
| North East Crain Highway | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Baltimore Beltway | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| Harbor Tunnel Throughway | 2 mi | 2m |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 97
— 10.4 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bowie, MD and Parkville, 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
3.3 mi
·
5 min
·
North East Crain Highway
6
Continue on MD 3; MD 450
7.1 mi
·
11 min
·
Robert Crain Highway
7
Merge onto I 97
10 mi
·
12 min
·
I 97
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto Harbor Tunnel Throughway
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
9
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
11
Continue on I 895
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 895
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
13
Merge onto I 95
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
14
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
44 sec
Exit 64
Toward I 695 West, I 695 East: Towson, Essex
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 695 West: Towson
16
Merge onto I 695
2.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
17
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
1 min
Exit 31A
Toward MD 147 South: Parkville
Use the right lane.
18
Turn straight onto MD 147
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Harford Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
19
Turn left onto Oak Forest Drive
32 ft
·
1 sec
·
Oak Forest Drive
20
Arrive at destination
Oak Forest Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 19.6 mi from Bowie, MD · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19.6 miles from Bowie, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Parkville, MD
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Parkville, 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
$6.52 one way
$13.03 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.14 | $14.27 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.62 | $15.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.68 | $17.35 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.48
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(7 mi)
$0.48
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$0
Total
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.13 | $1.89 |
| Efficient EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.44 | $1.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.7 | 0 | $5.50 | $2.52 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Parkville, MD
Late night in Parkville on Saturday
Local time
4:19 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°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
5 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
57m 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 Bowie, MD to Parkville, MD covers 39.3 miles and takes about 57m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 97, Robert Crain Highway, Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 19.6 miles from Bowie, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.52 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 14 decision points packed into just 39.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Navigation decision point; at 11.4 miles (I 97): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 34 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from Bowie, MD to Parkville, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Essex along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
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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