Origin
College Park, MD
Morning in College Park on Saturday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from College Park, MD to Arbutus, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
26.5 mi
43 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
College Park, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Arbutus, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from College Park, MD to Arbutus, MD covers 26.5 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 95, Baltimore Avenue, Capital Beltway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20 miles on I 95. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.39 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 26.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (75%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
This is a 38m highway drive covering 26.5 miles, with most of the trip on I 95 and Baltimore Avenue. The longest continuous stretch is about 20 miles on I 95.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 17 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 95 is the longest continuous segment at about 20 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Baltimore Avenue. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 2.8 miles in.
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 12 decision points packed into just 26.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.8 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
2.8 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silv...
7
3.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
I 95
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95 toward I-95 North: Baltimore
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I-95 North: Baltimore
8
23.7 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville
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 47A-B
Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshal...
8
24.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 166: Catonsville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 47B
Toward MD 166: Catonsville
6
24.9 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward UMBC Campus
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward UMBC Campus
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between College Park, MD and Arbutus, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring, Catonsville and Umbc Campus.
Silver Spring
2.8 mi in
|
~7m
Catonsville
23.7 mi in
|
~32m
Umbc Campus
24.9 mi in
|
~34m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 20 mi | 23m |
| Baltimore Avenue | 2.7 mi | 7m |
| Capital Beltway | 0.8 mi | <1m |
| Hilltop Circle | 0.5 mi | 2m |
| Metropolitan Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| UMBC Boulevard | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Poplar Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Shelbourne Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 20 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between College Park, MD and Arbutus, MD.
1
Start on Knox Road
272 ft
·
15 sec
·
Knox Road
2
Turn right onto US 1
2.7 mi
·
7 min
·
Baltimore Avenue
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto I 95; I 495
0.8 mi
·
57 sec
·
Capital Beltway
5
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95
20 mi
·
23 min
·
I 95
Toward I-95 North: Baltimore
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
22 sec
Exit 47A-B
Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 47B
Toward MD 166: Catonsville
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto MD 166
0.4 mi
·
25 sec
·
Metropolitan Boulevard
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
36 sec
Toward UMBC Campus
Use the slight right lane.
10
Turn straight onto UMBC Boulevard
384 ft
·
13 sec
·
UMBC Boulevard
11
Enter roundabout onto UMBC Boulevard
190 ft
·
5 sec
·
UMBC Boulevard
12
Continue on UMBC Boulevard
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
UMBC Boulevard
13
Enter roundabout onto Hilltop Circle
116 ft
·
3 sec
·
Hilltop Circle
14
Continue on Hilltop Circle
0.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Hilltop Circle
15
Turn right onto Poplar Avenue
0.2 mi
·
38 sec
·
Poplar Avenue
16
Turn left onto Shelbourne Road
0.2 mi
·
33 sec
·
Shelbourne Road
17
Arrive at destination
Shelbourne Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.39 one way
$8.79 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.81 | $9.62 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.14 | $10.28 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.85 | $11.70 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.78 | $1.27 |
| Efficient EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.6 | 0 | $3.71 | $1.70 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Arbutus, MD
Morning in Arbutus on Saturday
Local time
7:00 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
38m 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 College Park, MD to Arbutus, MD covers 26.5 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 95, Baltimore Avenue, Capital Beltway. Most of the drive stays on highways, so watch for ramps and exits.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.3 miles from College Park, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.39 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 12 decision points packed into just 26.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 3.8 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between College Park, MD and Arbutus, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring, Catonsville and Umbc Campus.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
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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