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Trip from Clinton, MD to North Bethesda, MD

Data updated 5 hours ago

Drive Time

49m

Distance

35.1 mi

56 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Loading...

station data

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 45m ★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m

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

census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Clinton, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown North Bethesda, MD, MD

North Bethesda, MD

Kelly

Trip Overview

The drive from Clinton, MD to North Bethesda, MD covers 35.1 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Capital Beltway, Branch Avenue, Rockville Pike for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27.5 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.82 one way before food or hotel costs.

Trip Pace

Same-day drive is realistic

A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.

Break Rhythm

0 planned breaks

A short stop every 2 to 3 hours is enough for this drive.

Midpoint

17.5 miles from Clinton, MD

A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 24m into the drive .

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Drive Character

Expect a 49m drive with frequent turns across 35.1 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 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 27.5 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 0.7 miles in.

Route Complexity 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

This is a demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 35.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 10 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in

Take the ramp toward MD 5 North: Washington

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward MD 5 North: Washington
7
4.4 mi into trip | ~6m in

Take the exit toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Coll...
8
23.2 mi into trip | ~31m 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
32.4 mi into trip | ~43m in

Take the exit toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 34 Toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville
6
34.6 mi into trip | ~47m in | Nicholson Lane

Turn left onto Nicholson Lane

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Clinton, MD and North Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Silver Spring and Rockville.

College Park

4.4 mi in | ~6m

Silver Spring

23.2 mi in | ~31m | via I 495

Rockville

32.4 mi in | ~43m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 27.5 mi 36m
Branch Avenue 3.3 mi 3m
Rockville Pike 1.8 mi 3m
Woodyard Road 0.7 mi 1m
Nicholson Lane 0.3 mi 1m
Tudor Lane <0.1 mi <1m
Commonwealth Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 27.5 mi, about 36m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Clinton, MD and North Bethesda, MD.

1

Start on this road

43 ft · 5 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto MD 223

0.7 mi · 1 min · Woodyard Road
3

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 56 sec
Toward MD 5 North: Washington Use the left lane.
4

Merge onto MD 5

3.3 mi · 3 min · Branch Avenue
5

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park Use the slight right lane.
6

Merge onto I 95; I 495

18 mi · 24 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 495

9.2 mi · 11 min · Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 37 sec
Exit 34 Toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Turn straight onto MD 355

1.8 mi · 3 min · Rockville Pike
10

Turn left onto Nicholson Lane

0.3 mi · 1 min · Nicholson Lane
Use the left lane.
11

Turn left onto Commonwealth Drive

347 ft · 17 sec · Commonwealth Drive
12

Turn right onto Tudor Lane

338 ft · 15 sec · Tudor Lane
13

Continue on Tudor Lane

146 ft · 6 sec · Tudor Lane
14

Arrive at destination

Tudor Lane

Trip Plan

Morning Departure

Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.

Evening Departure

Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.

You can normally do this drive in one day.
You may only need one short stretch break if traffic stays light.
The halfway point lands around 17.5 miles from Clinton, MD, or about 24m into the drive.
The longest continuous stretch on this route runs about 27.5 miles.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

Departure

Before you leave

Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.

First stop

Around 35.1 miles or 49m in

Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.

Halfway reset

Around 17.5 miles or 24m in

This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.

Final approach

Final hour starts around 40m

Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near North Bethesda, MD than in the middle of the route.

Before You Leave

+

Open the route before leaving Clinton, MD so your first major turns are already loaded.

+

Leave with enough water and a charging cable within reach, not packed away.

+

Check your fuel range against the first long segment, especially if you are starting outside city service areas.

Day 1

Settle into the route from Clinton, MD

This is one driving day of about 35.1 miles and 49m.

Your first comfortable stop window is around 80 miles from Clinton, MD.
This route can stay practical as a one-day drive if traffic stays reasonable.
You may only need one short stretch stop if conditions stay smooth.
The longest stretch is on Capital Beltway for about 27.5 miles.

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 17.5 mi from Clinton, MD · 24m into the drive

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Staten Island, NY

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

Rockville, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35.1 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Staten Island, NY

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Clinton, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in North Bethesda, MD

The final approach into North Bethesda, MD usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

Try to arrive with enough fuel left to skip an immediate station stop unless you already know the area around North Bethesda, MD.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.82 one way

$11.64 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.37 $12.75
premium $4.93 $6.81 $13.61
diesel $5.61 $7.75 $15.50

No toll roads detected on this route.

Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)

Fuel

$6

Meals

$25–$50

Total

$31–$56

Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.5 0 $3.69 $1.68
Efficient EV 8.8 0 $3.07 $1.40
EV Truck/SUV 14 0 $4.91 $2.25

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 data refreshed 4 days ago

Origin

Clinton, MD

Late night in Clinton on Wednesday

Local time

12:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Bethesda, MD

Late night in North Bethesda on Wednesday

Local time

12:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

88°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Seasonal Notes

Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.

Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.

Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.

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

24 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

49m 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 Clinton, MD to North Bethesda, MD covers 35.1 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Branch Avenue, Rockville Pike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.5 miles from Clinton, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.82 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 demanding drive. With 10 significant decision points across 35.1 miles, you will need to stay alert — especially through interchange areas and urban stretches. Consider splitting it into segments if you are not comfortable with fast highway navigation.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 4.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Clinton, MD and North Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Silver Spring and Rockville.

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