Origin
Chesapeake Beach, MD
Afternoon in Chesapeake Beach on Saturday
Local time
3:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chesapeake Beach, MD to Fort Washington, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 1m
Distance
37.9 mi
61 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 57m
★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chesapeake Beach, MD
Carly Dernetz
Fort Washington, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Chesapeake Beach, MD to Fort Washington, MD covers 37.9 miles and takes about 1h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on East Chesapeake Beach Road, Pennsylvania Avenue, MD 337 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.4 miles on East Chesapeake Beach Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.28 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| East Chesapeake Beach Road | 8.4 mi | 13m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 6.3 mi | 8m |
| MD 337 | 5.6 mi | 10m |
| Stephanie Roper Highway | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| Indian Head Highway | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Southern Maryland Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Old Fort Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Palmer Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
East Chesapeake Beach Road
— 8.4 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chesapeake Beach, MD and Fort Washington, MD.
1
Start on C Street
56 ft
·
11 sec
·
C Street
2
Turn left onto 17th Street
480 ft
·
29 sec
·
17th Street
3
Turn right onto MD 261
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Bayside Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
4
Turn left onto MD 260
8.4 mi
·
13 min
·
East Chesapeake Beach Road
5
Take the ramp onto MD 260
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
·
MD 260
Toward Maryland 4, Prince Frederick, Washington
6
Merge onto MD 4
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Southern Maryland Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
7
Continue on MD 4
4.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Stephanie Roper Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Continue on MD 4
6.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn left onto MD 337
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Suitland Parkway
Use the left lane.
10
Turn left onto MD 337
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
·
Forestville Road
Use the left lane.
11
Turn slight right onto MD 337
5.6 mi
·
10 min
·
MD 337
Toward MD 337 South
12
Continue on Tucker Road
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Tucker Road
13
Turn straight onto Palmer Road
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Palmer Road
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto MD 210
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Indian Head Highway
Use the left lane.
15
Turn right onto Old Fort Road
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Fort Road
16
Turn left onto Washington Drive
0.2 mi
·
46 sec
·
Washington Drive
17
Continue on Diggers Lane
0.2 mi
·
48 sec
·
Diggers Lane
18
At end of road, turn left onto Reid Lane
314 ft
·
17 sec
·
Reid Lane
19
Turn right onto Warburton Drive
0.1 mi
·
32 sec
·
Warburton Drive
20
Arrive at destination
Warburton Drive
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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 37.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.9 miles from Chesapeake Beach, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 37.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
17th Street
Turn left onto 17th Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 261 / Bayside Road
Turn right onto MD 261 / Bayside Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left lanes.
5
9.3 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
MD 4 / Southern Maryland Boulevard
Merge onto MD 4 / Southern Maryland Boulevard
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
23.6 mi into trip
|
~36m in
|
MD 337 / Forestville Road
Turn left onto MD 337 / Forestville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
5
37.7 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
Reid Lane
At end of road, turn left onto Reid Lane
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.28 one way
$12.57 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.88 | $13.76 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.35 | $14.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.37 | $16.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.98 | $1.82 |
| Efficient EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.31 | $2.43 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Fort Washington, MD
Afternoon in Fort Washington on Saturday
Local time
3:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
79°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
1h 1m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
37.9 mi in 1h 1m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 18% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.4 mi on East Chesapeake Beach Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
6/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 13 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near 17th Street.
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 37.9 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start (17th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MD 261 / Bayside Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (MD 4 / Southern Maryland Boulevard): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Chesapeake Beach, MD and Fort Washington, MD, road signs point toward Maryland 4, Prince Frederick and Washington.
Maryland 4
9.1 mi in
|
~15m
|
via MD 260
Prince Frederick
9.1 mi in
|
~15m
|
via MD 260
Washington
9.1 mi in
|
~15m
|
via MD 260
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 37.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.4 miles on East Chesapeake Beach Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Fort Washington, MD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 (17th Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MD 261 / Bayside Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (MD 4 / Southern Maryland Boulevard): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fort Washington, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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