Origin
Columbia, MD
Morning in Columbia on Friday
Local time
8:28 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, MD to Clarksburg, 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
27.5 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
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.
Columbia, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Clarksburg, MD
Jonathan Borba
Trip Overview
Columbia, MD to Clarksburg, MD is 27.5 miles and takes about 51 minutes via Clarksville Pike, Brink Road, and Brighton Dam Road, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a straightforward, same-day trip primarily within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local driving experience rather than a highway cruise, with plenty of turns to keep you engaged. Given the short distance and duration, this route is easily manageable for a quick excursion.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 51m. Total distance: 27.5 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 (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This journey is characterized by its turn-heavy local drive, with a 0% highway share. You'll be navigating a series of local roads, including Clarksville Pike, Brink Road, and Brighton Dam Road, which means a dynamic driving experience. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.3 miles on Clarksville Pike, offering a brief period of consistent travel before the turns resume. The route unfolds as a typical local road network, requiring your attention to navigation and road conditions.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Clarksville Pike is the longest continuous segment at about 6.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
2/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Columbia, MD to Clarksburg, MD is easy. At 51m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.4 miles (Ten Oaks Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.1 miles (Brighton Dam Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
Critical Maneuvers
4 of 4 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
Depart toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Searc...
3
6.4 mi into trip
|
~10m in
|
Ten Oaks Road
Turn right onto Ten Oaks Road
Navigation decision point
5
7.1 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
Brighton Dam Road
Enter roundabout onto Brighton Dam Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
4
25.1 mi into trip
|
~45m in
|
MD 355 / Frederick Road
At end of road, turn right onto MD 355 / Frederick Road
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Clarksville Pike | 6.3 mi | 10m |
| Brink Road | 6.2 mi | 11m |
| Brighton Dam Road | 4.2 mi | 7m |
| Sundown Road | 4.1 mi | 7m |
| New Hampshire Avenue | 3 mi | 7m |
| Frederick Road | 2.4 mi | 6m |
| Ten Oaks Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Damascus Road | 0.6 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Clarksville Pike
— 6.3 mi, about 10m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MD and Clarksburg, MD.
1
Start on this road
404 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
Exit 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
2
Turn straight onto MD 108
6.3 mi
·
10 min
·
Clarksville Pike
3
Turn right onto Ten Oaks Road
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Ten Oaks Road
4
Enter roundabout onto Brighton Dam Road
190 ft
·
3 sec
·
Brighton Dam Road
5
Continue on Brighton Dam Road
4.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Brighton Dam Road
6
Turn right onto MD 650
3.0 mi
·
7 min
·
New Hampshire Avenue
7
Continue on MD 650
0.6 mi
·
57 sec
·
Damascus Road
8
Turn slight left onto Sundown Road
4.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Sundown Road
9
Continue on Brink Road
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Brink Road
10
Continue on Brink Road
3.6 mi
·
6 min
·
Brink Road
11
At end of road, turn right onto MD 355
2.4 mi
·
6 min
·
Frederick Road
12
Arrive at destination
MD 355
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.56 one way
$9.12 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.99 | $9.99 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.33 | $10.67 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.07 | $12.14 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.89 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.41 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.85 | $1.76 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Clarksburg, MD
Morning in Clarksburg on Friday
Local time
8:28 AM
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
1 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 Columbia, MD to Clarksburg, MD covers 27.5 miles and takes about 51m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Clarksville Pike, Brink Road, Brighton Dam Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.8 miles from Columbia, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.56 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.
The drive from Columbia, MD to Clarksburg, MD is easy. At 51m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.4 miles (Ten Oaks Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.1 miles (Brighton Dam Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering.
The route from Columbia, MD to Clarksburg, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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. 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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