Origin
Chesapeake Beach, MD
Afternoon in Chesapeake Beach on Saturday
Local time
2:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chesapeake Beach, MD to Essex, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
57.2 mi
92 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 21m
★
6 AM
1h 28m
8 AM
1h 41m
10 AM
1h 32m
12 PM
1h 31m
3 PM
1h 33m
5 PM
1h 40m
8 PM
1h 24m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chesapeake Beach, MD
Carly Dernetz
Trip Overview
The drive from Chesapeake Beach, MD to Essex, MD covers 57.2 miles and takes about 1h 27m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Solomons Island Road, I 97, East Chesapeake Beach Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 19.2 miles on Solomons Island Road. At current regular gas prices, budget about $9.48 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Solomons Island Road | 19.2 mi | 30m |
| I 97 | 17.9 mi | 20m |
| East Chesapeake Beach Road | 4.4 mi | 7m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Eastern Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Harbor Tunnel Throughway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Eastern Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Solomons Island Road
— 19.2 mi, about 30m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chesapeake Beach, MD and Essex, 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
4.4 mi
·
7 min
·
East Chesapeake Beach Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
22 sec
6
Merge onto Solomons Island Road
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Solomons Island Road
7
Enter roundabout onto MD 2
162 ft
·
2 sec
·
Solomons Island Road
8
Continue on MD 2
0.1 mi
·
11 sec
·
Solomons Island Road
9
Continue on MD 2
0.6 mi
·
50 sec
·
New Solomoms Island Road
10
Continue on MD 2
6.1 mi
·
9 min
·
Solomons Island Road
Use the straight lane.
11
Enter roundabout onto MD 2
34 ft
·
0 sec
·
Solomons Island Road
12
Continue on MD 2
12 mi
·
18 min
·
Solomons Island Road
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on MD 2
155 ft
·
9 sec
·
Solomons Island Road
Use the left lane.
14
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward MD 665 West, US 301, I 97, US 50: Aris T Allen Boulevard
15
Merge onto MD 665
0.6 mi
·
52 sec
·
Aris T Allen Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
1.0 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 97, US 50 West, US 301 South: Washington, Baltimore
17
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
Toward I 97 North: Baltimore
18
Continue on I 97
6.0 mi
·
6 min
·
I 97
19
Keep slight left at fork onto I 97
12 mi
·
13 min
·
I 97
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20
Merge onto Harbor Tunnel Throughway
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
21
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
23
Continue on I 895
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
24
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 11A
Toward Boston Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
25
Turn straight onto O'Donnell Street Cutoff
520 ft
·
14 sec
·
O'Donnell Street Cutoff
26
Turn left onto Interstate Avenue
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Interstate Avenue
Use the left lane.
27
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 95 North: New York
28
Merge onto I 95
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
29
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 59
Toward MD 150: Eastern Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
30
Keep slight right at fork
256 ft
·
8 sec
Toward MD 150 East: Eastern Avenue, East Essex
Use the right lane.
31
Turn right onto MD 150
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastern Avenue
Use the straight lane.
32
Continue on MD 150
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Eastern Boulevard
33
Turn left onto North Taylor Avenue
211 ft
·
13 sec
·
North Taylor Avenue
34
Turn right
521 ft
·
38 sec
35
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
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 28.6 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 245 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 53.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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.
6
25 mi into trip
|
~41m in
Take the exit toward MD 665 West, US 301, I 97, US 50: Aris T Allen Boulevard
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MD 665 West, US 301, I 97, US 50: Aris T...
7
52.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 16m in
Take the exit toward Boston Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11A
Toward Boston Street
7
53.5 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward MD 150: Eastern Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 59
Toward MD 150: Eastern Avenue
9
53.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 150 East: Eastern Avenue, East Essex
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward MD 150 East: Eastern Avenue, East Essex
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$9.48 one way
$18.97 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
20 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $10.39 | $20.77 |
| premium | $4.93 | $11.09 | $22.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $12.63 | $25.26 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.23
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(3.4 mi)
$0.23
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$0
Total
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 20 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.2 | 0 | $6.01 | $2.75 |
| Efficient EV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.9 | 0 | $8.01 | $3.66 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Essex, MD
Afternoon in Essex on Saturday
Local time
2:01 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 27m 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?
57.2 mi in 1h 27m — 32% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Solomons Island Road.
32% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
35 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.2 mi on Solomons Island Road.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near MD 261 / Bayside Road.
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 57.2 miles you will encounter 24 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 0.1 miles (MD 261 / Bayside Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
148 ft
35 ft
Total Climb
184 ft
Total Descent
202 ft
Highest Point
148 ft
~12.3 mi in
Elevation Range
114 ft
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.
On the drive from Chesapeake Beach, MD to Essex, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Baltimore along the way.
Baltimore
25.9 mi in
|
~42m
About the Cities
Arriving in Essex, MD
Full guide →Southeast Baltimore, fittingly, covers the areas in the southeast of Baltimore, ranging from industrial wastelands to charming neighborhoods both quiet and hip.
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 27m. Total distance: 57.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (32%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.2 miles on Solomons Island Road. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.23 in tolls one way, starting with Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Essex, 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 0.1 miles (MD 261 / Bayside Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 25 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 52.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — 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 Essex, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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