Origin
Clarksburg, MD
Late night in Clarksburg on Friday
Local time
4:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clarksburg, MD to Bowie, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h
Distance
43.9 mi
71 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clarksburg, MD
Jonathan Borba
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 43.9-mile drive from Clarksburg, MD to Bowie, MD is a straightforward, single-day trip that should take about 1 hour to complete. The journey primarily utilizes the Capital Beltway and I-270, making it a convenient option for a quick excursion within Maryland's Northeast region. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $7, this route is budget-friendly. The drive is characterized by its turn-heavy local segments, so while it's a short distance, expect a more engaged driving experience. It’s perfectly suited for a day trip, with no need for overnight accommodations.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 43.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile for this 43.9-mile journey. While 22% of your travel will be on highways like I-270 and the Capital Beltway, the overall feel is more geared towards local roads and frequent turns. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 16.3 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a brief period of consistent highway travel before you transition back to more complex local navigation. This mix means you'll be actively managing the vehicle throughout the drive.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Capital Beltway is the longest continuous segment at about 16.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 10.1 miles in near I 270.
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 43.9 miles you will encounter 14 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 10.1 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 35.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
10.1 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
16.7 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
7
35.7 mi into trip
|
~48m in
Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 19A
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
7
42.4 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Take the exit toward MD 197: Bowie
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 11
Toward MD 197: Bowie
7
42.8 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 197
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / right lanes.
Toward MD 197
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 Clarksburg, MD to Bowie, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
College Park
16.7 mi in
|
~23m
|
via I 270
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 16.3 mi | 21m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 9.2 mi | 12m |
| John Hanson Highway | 5.7 mi | 6m |
| Collington Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Clarksburg Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Stringtown Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Evergreen Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 16.3 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clarksburg, MD and Bowie, MD.
1
Start on MD 355
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Frederick Road
2
Turn right onto Stringtown Road
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Stringtown Road
3
Continue on MD 121
0.3 mi
·
31 sec
·
Clarksburg Road
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Toward I 270 South: Washington
5
Merge onto I 270
9.2 mi
·
12 min
·
Eisenhower Memorial Highway
6
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
I 270
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
2.8 mi
·
3 min
·
I 270
Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
8
Merge onto I 495
16 mi
·
21 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 19A
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 50
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
John Hanson Highway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 11
Toward MD 197: Bowie
Use the slight right lane.
12
Keep slight right at fork
273 ft
·
6 sec
Toward MD 197
Use the left / right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto MD 197
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Collington Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto Evergreen Parkway
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Evergreen Parkway
15
Turn right
259 ft
·
20 sec
16
Turn left
110 ft
·
8 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 22 mi from Clarksburg, MD · 30m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22 miles from Clarksburg, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Bowie, MD
The final approach into Bowie, MD usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.28 one way
$14.56 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.97 | $15.94 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.51 | $17.03 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.69 | $19.39 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.4 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 | 13.2 | 0 | $4.61 | $2.11 |
| Efficient EV | 11 | 0 | $3.84 | $1.76 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.6 | 0 | $6.15 | $2.81 |
Gas CO2
15 kg
EV CO2
5 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.
Destination
Bowie, MD
Late night in Bowie on Friday
Local time
4:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°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
6 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
1h 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 Clarksburg, MD to Bowie, MD covers 43.9 miles and takes about 1h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, I 270, Eisenhower Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22 miles from Clarksburg, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.28 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.9 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 10.1 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 35.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Clarksburg, MD to Bowie, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Bowie, MD
More from Clarksburg, MD
More trips to Bowie, MD
Explore more options from Clarksburg, MD or browse trips ending in Bowie, MD.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.