Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
21.7 mi
35 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Silver Spring, MD
www.kaboompics.com
Bowie, MD to Silver Spring, MD is 21.7 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Capital Beltway/John Hanson Highway/Colesville Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local drive with frequent turns, making it feel more like navigating within a metro area than a traditional highway journey. Given the minimal distance and quick travel time, this route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion.
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).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 21.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m 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.
This drive is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' indicating a significant portion will involve navigating city streets and intersections rather than high-speed highway travel. While it utilizes major roads like the Capital Beltway and John Hanson Highway, the overall profile suggests a need for attention to traffic signals and turning lanes. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 11.1 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a brief period of more consistent speed before transitioning back to more complex local road segments.
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 around 0.3 miles in near MD 197 / Collington Road.
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 13 decision points packed into just 21.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (MD 197 / Collington Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
At end of road, turn left onto MD 197 / Collington Road
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 11.1 mi | 13m |
| John Hanson Highway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Colesville Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Collington Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Evergreen Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Bowie, MD and Silver Spring, MD.
Start on this road
Turn right
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
At end of road, turn left onto MD 197
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 50
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95; I 495
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
Take the exit
Merge onto US 29
Turn left onto US 29
Continue on US 29
Turn right
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Regular Gas
$3.60 one way
$7.20 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.94 | $7.88 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.21 | $8.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.79 | $9.58 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.6 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 | 6.5 | 0 | $2.28 | $1.04 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.90 | $0.87 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.7 | 0 | $3.04 | $1.39 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Bowie on Saturday
Local time
11:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Morning in Silver Spring on Saturday
Local time
11:56 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
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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