Origin
Catonsville, MD
Afternoon in Catonsville on Saturday
Local time
1:17 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Catonsville, MD to Arbutus, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
6m
Distance
3.3 mi
5 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Good
6 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 6m
★
6 AM
0h 7m
8 AM
0h 8m
10 AM
0h 7m
12 PM
0h 7m
3 PM
0h 7m
5 PM
0h 8m
8 PM
0h 6m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Catonsville, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Arbutus, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Catonsville, MD to Arbutus, MD covers 3.3 miles and takes about 6m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Baltimore Beltway, Frederick Road, Circle Drive for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 1.8 miles on Baltimore Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $0.55 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 6m. Total distance: 3.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
6m 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
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a 6m drive with frequent turns across 3.3 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 9 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Baltimore Beltway is the longest continuous segment at about 1.8 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MD 144 / Frederick Road.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 6m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 144 / Frederick Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
|
MD 144 / Frederick Road
Turn left onto MD 144 / Frederick Road
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
Take the ramp toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie
Navigation decision point
Toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie
7
2.5 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Arbutus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 12A
Toward US 1: Arbutus
8
2.6 mi into trip
|
~4m in
Keep slight right at fork toward Leeds Avenue
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward Leeds Avenue
4
3.2 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
Shelbourne Road
Turn left onto Shelbourne Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Beltway | 1.8 mi | 2m |
| Frederick Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Circle Drive | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Shelbourne Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Baltimore Beltway
— 1.8 mi, about 2m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Catonsville, MD and Arbutus, MD.
1
Start on this road
37 ft
·
8 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto MD 144
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Frederick Road
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie
4
Merge onto I 695
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 12A
Toward US 1: Arbutus
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward Leeds Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Continue on Circle Drive
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Circle Drive
8
Turn left onto Shelbourne Road
0.1 mi
·
27 sec
·
Shelbourne Road
9
Arrive at destination
Shelbourne Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$0.55 one way
$1.09 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
1 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $0.60 | $1.20 |
| premium | $4.93 | $0.64 | $1.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $0.73 | $1.46 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 1.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $0 in charging · 0 stops · 100% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 1 | 0 | $0.35 | $0.16 |
| Efficient EV | 0.8 | 0 | $0.29 | $0.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 1.3 | 0 | $0.46 | $0.21 |
Gas CO2
1 kg
EV CO2
0 kg (100% 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
Arbutus, MD
Afternoon in Arbutus on Saturday
Local time
1:17 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
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
6m 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 Catonsville, MD to Arbutus, MD covers 3.3 miles and takes about 6m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Baltimore Beltway, Frederick Road, Circle Drive. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 1.7 miles from Catonsville, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $0.55 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 straightforward 6m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 144 / Frederick Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles: Navigation decision point; at 2.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Catonsville, MD to Arbutus, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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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