Origin
Bowie, MD
Afternoon in Bowie on Saturday
Local time
12:14 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bowie, MD to Chestertown, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
58.7 mi
95 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 18m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 37m
10 AM
1h 29m
12 PM
1h 28m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 37m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Chestertown, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Bowie, MD to Chestertown, MD covers 58.7 miles and takes about 1h 24m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Blue Star Memorial Highway, Church Hill Road, John Hanson Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.3 miles on Blue Star Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.73 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 1h 24m. Total distance: 58.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m 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 1h 24m drive with frequent turns across 58.7 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Blue Star Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 27.3 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
126 ft
0 ft
Total Climb
107 ft
Total Descent
221 ft
Highest Point
126 ft
Elevation Range
126 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 10 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 58.7 miles you will encounter 10 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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 10 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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.
5
34.6 mi into trip
|
~48m in
|
US 301 / Blue Star Memorial Highway
Keep slight left at fork onto US 301 / Blue Star Memorial Highway toward US 301 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 301 North
5
58.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 23m in
|
MD 289 / North Cross Street
Turn left onto MD 289 / North Cross Street
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Star Memorial Highway | 27.3 mi | 38m |
| Church Hill Road | 14.9 mi | 22m |
| John Hanson Highway | 10.8 mi | 12m |
| Centreville Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| Collington Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| US 301 | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| South Commerce Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| North East Crain Highway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Blue Star Memorial Highway
— 27.3 mi, about 38m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bowie, MD and Chestertown, 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
22 mi
·
30 min
·
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto US 301
5.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Blue Star Memorial Highway
Toward US 301 North
11
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
Toward MD 213 North
12
Turn straight onto MD 213
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Centreville Road
13
Continue on MD 213
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
South Commerce Street
14
Continue on MD 213
15 mi
·
22 min
·
Church Hill Road
15
Continue on MD 213
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Chestertown Church Hill Road
16
Continue on MD 213
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Maple Avenue
17
Turn left onto MD 289
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
North Cross Street
18
Arrive at destination
MD 289
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 29.4 mi from Bowie, MD · 40m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 29.4 miles from Bowie, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Chestertown, MD
The final approach into Chestertown, 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
$9.73 one way
$19.46 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
21 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $10.66 | $21.32 |
| premium | $4.93 | $11.38 | $22.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.96 | $25.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.16 | $2.82 |
| Efficient EV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.14 | $2.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.5 | 0 | $8.22 | $3.76 |
Gas CO2
21 kg
EV CO2
7 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
Chestertown, MD
Afternoon in Chestertown on Saturday
Local time
12:14 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
7 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 24m 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 Chestertown, MD covers 58.7 miles and takes about 1h 24m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Blue Star Memorial Highway, Church Hill Road, John Hanson Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 29.4 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 $9.73 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 58.7 miles you will encounter 10 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
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.
The route from Bowie, MD to Chestertown, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 0 ft to 126 ft elevation with about 107 ft of total climbing.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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