Origin
Columbia, MD
Morning in Columbia on Friday
Local time
6:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, MD to Jessup, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
15m
Distance
8.7 mi
14 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$1
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 14m
★
6 AM
0h 15m
8 AM
0h 18m
10 AM
0h 16m
12 PM
0h 16m
3 PM
0h 16m
5 PM
0h 18m
8 PM
0h 14m
★
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbia, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Jessup, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 8.7-mile journey from Columbia, MD to Jessup, MD is designed for a single day of travel, taking approximately 15 minutes. You'll primarily navigate Rouse Parkway, Waterloo Road, and Columbia Pike, with about 60% of the drive on highways. Given its brevity, this route is easily manageable without an overnight stay. Expect a modest fuel cost of around $1 for this trip. The drive offers a mixed driving experience, suitable for a quick errand or a brief exploration within the Northeast region of Maryland.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 15m. Total distance: 8.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
15m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (60%). Straightforward navigation.
Drive Character
The character of this drive is predominantly mixed, blending highway speeds with local road segments. With 60% of the route on highways, you'll experience some faster travel, particularly during the longest uninterrupted stretch of 5.2 miles on Rouse Parkway. As you transition to Waterloo Road and Columbia Pike, the driving may become more technical and involve more frequent intersections or traffic lights. This variation means you'll encounter different driving conditions, from open stretches to more controlled urban-like environments.
Most of the miles stay on highways, which makes pacing and fuel planning easier than turn-by-turn city driving.
There are about 10 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Rouse Parkway is the longest continuous segment at about 5.2 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 15m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.3 miles (MD 108 / Clarksville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 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
0.3 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 108 / Clarksville Pike
Continue onto MD 108 / Clarksville Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Take the ramp toward US 29 South: Columbia, Town Center
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward US 29 South: Columbia, Town Center
3
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 29 / Columbia Pike
Merge onto US 29 / Columbia Pike
Merge point - match speed before joining
7
1.6 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the exit toward MD 175 East: Jessup
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 20A
Toward MD 175 East: Jessup
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Rouse Parkway | 5.2 mi | 8m |
| Waterloo Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Columbia Pike | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Clarksville Pike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Jessup Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Rouse Parkway
— 5.2 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MD and Jessup, 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
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Columbia Pike
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
53 sec
Exit 20A
Toward MD 175 East: Jessup
Use the right lane.
7
Turn straight onto MD 175
5.2 mi
·
8 min
·
Rouse Parkway
Use the left lane.
8
Continue on MD 175
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Waterloo Road
9
Continue on MD 175
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
·
Jessup Road
10
Arrive at destination
MD 175
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.44 one way
$2.88 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
3 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $1.58 | $3.16 |
| premium | $4.93 | $1.69 | $3.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $1.92 | $3.84 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$1
Estimated CO2 emission: 3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 2.6 | 0 | $0.91 | $0.42 |
| Efficient EV | 2.2 | 0 | $0.76 | $0.35 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 3.5 | 0 | $1.22 | $0.56 |
Gas CO2
3 kg
EV CO2
1 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
Jessup, MD
Morning in Jessup on Friday
Local time
6:57 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
15m 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 Jessup, MD covers 8.7 miles and takes about 15m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Rouse Parkway, Waterloo Road, Columbia Pike. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 4.4 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 $1.44 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 straightforward 15m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 0.3 miles (MD 108 / Clarksville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.4 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
The route from Columbia, MD to Jessup, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Jessup, MD
More trips to Jessup, MD
Explore more options from Columbia, MD or browse trips ending in Jessup, MD.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.