Origin
Chevy Chase, MD
Late night in Chevy Chase on Friday
Local time
5:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Chevy Chase, MD to Frederick, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
51m
Distance
36.6 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 47m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 0m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 54m
3 PM
0h 55m
5 PM
1h 0m
8 PM
0h 49m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Chevy Chase, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Frederick, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This straightforward 36.6-mile drive from Chevy Chase, MD to Frederick, MD is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking about 51 minutes to complete. The route is heavily focused on highways, with 84% of the journey on major roads like I-270 and the Capital Beltway, making it a quick and efficient connection. Budget around $6 for fuel for this short excursion. Given its brevity and highway-centric nature, it’s perfect for a quick day trip without the need for an overnight stay. You'll be traversing within the Northeast region for the entire trip, staying within Maryland.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 36.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
51m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (84%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a highway-focused experience for most of this 36.6-mile journey, with an 84% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 30.7 miles on I-270, offering a consistent pace. This route prioritizes efficiency over scenic detours, meaning you'll likely be on well-maintained interstates for the majority of your travel time. The character of the drive remains largely consistent, emphasizing smooth, high-speed travel for most of the 51-minute duration.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 23 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 270 is the longest continuous segment at about 30.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 270 and Capital Beltway. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Clifford Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Clifford Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Clifford Avenue
Turn left onto Clifford Avenue
Navigation decision point
8
2.8 mi into trip
|
~5m 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
6.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 270 North
8
13.4 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward MD 117, MD 124 North: Clopper Road, West Diamond Avenue, Montgomery Village Avenue, Quince Orchard Road, Watkins Mill Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 11; 12
Toward MD 117, MD 124 North: Clopper Road, West...
8
33.7 mi into trip
|
~45m in
Take the exit toward MD 85: Frederick, Buckeystown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 31
Toward MD 85: Frederick, Buckeystown
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 Chevy Chase, MD to Frederick, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Buckeystown along the way.
Buckeystown
33.7 mi in
|
~45m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 30.7 mi | 39m |
| Capital Beltway | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Buckeystown Pike | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Connecticut Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| South Carroll Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Montrose Driveway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| East Patrick Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 30.7 mi, about 39m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Chevy Chase, MD and Frederick, MD.
1
Start on Hutch Place
133 ft
·
12 sec
·
Hutch Place
2
Turn left onto Clifford Avenue
450 ft
·
22 sec
·
Clifford Avenue
3
Turn right onto Kenilworth Driveway
363 ft
·
15 sec
·
Kenilworth Driveway
4
Continue on Montgomery Avenue
444 ft
·
19 sec
·
Montgomery Avenue
5
Continue on Stewart Driveway
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Stewart Driveway
6
Turn right onto Montrose Driveway
0.2 mi
·
44 sec
·
Montrose Driveway
7
Turn right onto MD 185
0.3 mi
·
26 sec
·
Connecticut Avenue
8
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Toward I 495 West: Northern Virginia, Frederick
9
Merge onto I 495
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
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.
11
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
I 270
Toward I 270 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 11; 12
Toward MD 117, MD 124 North: Clopper Road, West Diamond Avenue, Montgomery Village Avenue, Quince Orchard Road, Watkins Mill Road
Use the slight right lane.
13
Merge onto I 270
20 mi
·
24 min
·
I 270
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 31
Toward MD 85: Frederick, Buckeystown
Use the slight right lane.
15
Turn right onto MD 85
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Buckeystown Pike
Use the straight lane.
16
Continue on MD 85
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Buckeystown Pike
17
Continue on East Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
East Street
18
Enter roundabout onto East Street
119 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Street
19
Continue on East Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
East Street
20
Turn left onto MD 144
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
East South Street
21
Turn right onto South Carroll Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
South Carroll Street
22
Turn left onto MD 144
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
East Patrick Street
23
Arrive at destination
MD 144
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 18.3 mi from Chevy Chase, MD · 26m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 18.3 miles from Chevy Chase, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Frederick, MD
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Frederick, MD if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.07 one way
$12.14 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.65 | $13.29 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.10 | $14.20 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.08 | $16.16 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.8 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 | 0 | $3.84 | $1.76 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.20 | $1.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.12 | $2.34 |
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
Frederick, MD
Late night in Frederick on Friday
Local time
5:12 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
71°F
Germantown, MD
18 mi in
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
10 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
51m 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 Chevy Chase, MD to Frederick, MD covers 36.6 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 270, Capital Beltway, Buckeystown Pike. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 18.3 miles from Chevy Chase, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $6.07 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 short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 36.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 51m.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Clifford Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 6.4 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Chevy Chase, MD to Frederick, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Buckeystown along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Monocacy National Battlefield, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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