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Trip from Chesapeake Beach, MD to Rockville, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 17m

Distance

51.8 mi

83 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 12m ★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 29m
8 PM
1h 14m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Chesapeake Beach, MD, MD

Chesapeake Beach, MD

Carly Dernetz

Downtown Rockville, MD, MD

Rockville, MD

Jonathan Borba

Trip Overview

The drive from Chesapeake Beach, MD to Rockville, MD covers 51.8 miles and takes about 1h 17m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Capital Beltway, East Chesapeake Beach Road, Largo Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.5 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.59 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 18.5 mi 24m
East Chesapeake Beach Road 8.4 mi 13m
Largo Road 7.6 mi 11m
I 270 5.4 mi 7m
Stephanie Roper Highway 4.6 mi 6m
Southern Maryland Boulevard 1.9 mi 2m
Landover Road 1.7 mi 2m
Great Falls Road 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 18.5 mi, about 24m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Chesapeake Beach, MD and Rockville, 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

4.6 mi · 6 min · Stephanie Roper Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 52 sec
Toward MD 717: Upper Marlboro Use the slight right lane.
9

Turn right onto MD 717

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Water Street
10

Turn right onto MD 725

0.5 mi · 58 sec · Main Street
11

Turn left onto MD 202

7.6 mi · 11 min · Largo Road
12

Continue on MD 202

1.7 mi · 2 min · Landover Road
13

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: College Park, Baltimore
14

Merge onto I 95; I 495

9.0 mi · 11 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork onto I 495

9.5 mi · 12 min · Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270

3.6 mi · 4 min · I 270
Exit 35 Toward I 270 North: Frederick Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270

1.8 mi · 2 min · I 270
Toward I 270 North Use the slight right lane.
18

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Exit 5 Toward MD 189: Falls Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward MD 189 North: Falls Road, Rockville, Town Center Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
20

Turn straight onto MD 189

432 ft · 20 sec · Falls Road
21

Turn left onto Great Falls Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Great Falls Road
22

Continue on West Montgomery Avenue

0.2 mi · 37 sec · West Montgomery Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
23

Turn right onto South Washington Street

63 ft · 1 sec · South Washington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
24

Arrive at destination

South Washington Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

census-designated place in Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Forestville, MD

26 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

Dunkirk Town Center, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

New Carrollton, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 25.9 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 18

5 decision points cluster between mile 35.7 and 50.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
35.7 mi into trip | ~55m in | I 495 / Capital Beltway

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
8
45.3 mi into trip | ~1h 7m in | I 270

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North: Frederick

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 35 Toward I 270 North: Frederick
7
48.8 mi into trip | ~1h 12m in | I 270

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 270 North
7
50.6 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in

Take the exit toward MD 189: Falls Road

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 5 Toward MD 189: Falls Road
9
50.8 mi into trip | ~1h 14m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 189 North: Falls Road, Rockville, Town Center

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward MD 189 North: Falls Road, Rockville, Tow...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.59 one way

$17.18 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 18 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $9.41 $18.81
premium $4.93 $10.05 $20.09
diesel $5.61 $11.44 $22.87

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 18.1 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 15.5 0 $5.44 $2.49
Efficient EV 13 0 $4.53 $2.07
EV Truck/SUV 20.7 0 $7.25 $3.32

Gas CO2

18 kg

EV CO2

6 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Chesapeake Beach, MD

Afternoon in Chesapeake Beach on Saturday

Local time

2:07 PM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Rockville, MD

Afternoon in Rockville on Saturday

Local time

2:07 PM

EDT

Current temp

77°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

1h 17m 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?

51.8 mi in 1h 17m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.5 mi on Capital Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 35.7 miles in near I 495 / Capital Beltway.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 51.8 miles you will encounter 18 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 35.7 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.3 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.8 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.

Between Chesapeake Beach, MD and Rockville, MD, road signs point toward Maryland 4, Prince Frederick, Washington, Baltimore and Silver Spring.

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

Baltimore

26.2 mi in | ~42m

Silver Spring

35.7 mi in | ~55m | via I 495

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 17m. Total distance: 51.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 17m 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 18.5 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Rockville, 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: at 35.7 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 45.3 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 48.8 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield (4 total within detour distance). 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 Rockville, 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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