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Trip from Columbia, MD to Forestville, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

49m

Distance

36.1 mi

58 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 46m ★
6 AM
0h 50m
8 AM
0h 58m
10 AM
0h 53m
12 PM
0h 52m
3 PM
0h 53m
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.

planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States

Columbia, MD

Wikimedia Commons

census-designated place in Maryland, United States

Forestville, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Columbia, MD to Forestville, MD covers 36.1 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 I 95, Columbia Pike, Patuxent Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is highway-focused drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 26.8 miles on I 95. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.98 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 36.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Drive Character

This is a 49m highway drive covering 36.1 miles, with most of the trip on I 95 and Columbia Pike. The longest continuous stretch is about 26.8 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 18 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 26.8 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Columbia Pike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.

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 15 decision points packed into just 36.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 15 key points

These 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...
7
5 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the exit toward MD 32 East: Fort Meade

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 16A Toward MD 32 East: Fort Meade
6
5.4 mi into trip | ~8m in

Keep slight left at fork toward Shaker Drive, Eden Brook Drive

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward Shaker Drive, Eden Brook Drive
7
7.8 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward I 95 South: Washington

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 13B Toward I 95 South: Washington
8
35.2 mi into trip | ~47m in

Take the exit toward MD 4 North/West: Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington

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 11B Toward MD 4 North/West: Pennsylvania Avenue, Wa...

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 26.8 mi 34m
Columbia Pike 4.2 mi 5m
Patuxent Freeway 2.4 mi 3m
Clarksville Pike 0.3 mi <1m
Forestville Road 0.2 mi <1m
Pennsylvania Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Marlboro Pike <0.1 mi <1m
Pumphrey Drive <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 26.8 mi, about 34m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MD and Forestville, 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

0.2 mi · 19 sec · Clarksville Pike
3

Continue on MD 108

0.1 mi · 26 sec · Clarksville Pike
Use the left / straight lanes.
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward US 29 South: Columbia, Town Center
5

Merge onto US 29

4.2 mi · 5 min · Columbia Pike
6

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 1 min
Exit 16A Toward MD 32 East: Fort Meade Use the right lane.
7

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward Shaker Drive, Eden Brook Drive
8

Merge onto MD 32

2.4 mi · 3 min · Patuxent Freeway
9

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 13B Toward I 95 South: Washington Use the slight right lane.
10

Merge onto I 95

27 mi · 34 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 48 sec
Exit 11B Toward MD 4 North/West: Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto MD 4

524 ft · 8 sec · Pennsylvania Avenue
13

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward Marlboro Pike
14

Turn straight onto Forestville Road

0.2 mi · 26 sec · Forestville Road
15

Turn left onto Marlboro Pike

353 ft · 12 sec · Marlboro Pike
16

Turn left onto Pumphrey Drive

74 ft · 9 sec · Pumphrey Drive
17

Turn left

40 ft · 3 sec
18

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 18 mi from Columbia, MD · 25m into the drive

Downtown College Park, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

College Park, MD

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

Seat Pleasant, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

College Park, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18 miles from Columbia, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Forestville, MD

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Forestville, 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

$5.98 one way

$11.97 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.55 $13.11
premium $4.93 $7.00 $14.00
diesel $5.61 $7.97 $15.94

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 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 10.8 0 $3.79 $1.73
Efficient EV 9 0 $3.16 $1.44
EV Truck/SUV 14.4 0 $5.05 $2.31

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.

Forecast as of Apr 18, 2026

Origin

Columbia, MD

Morning in Columbia on Saturday

Local time

11:15 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Forestville, MD

Morning in Forestville on Saturday

Local time

11:15 AM

EDT

Current temp

82°F

Mostly Sunny

SE 5 to 13 mph 2% chance 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

7 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

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

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 Forestville, MD covers 36.1 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are I 95, Columbia Pike, Patuxent Freeway. 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 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 $5.98 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 15 decision points packed into just 36.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

The main spots that need attention: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

The route from Columbia, MD to Forestville, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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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