Origin
Columbia, MD
Morning in Columbia on Friday
Local time
6:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, MD to North Laurel, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
17m
Distance
11.4 mi
18 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$2
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 16m
★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 18m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbia, MD
Wikimedia Commons
North Laurel, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This quick 11.4-mile drive from Columbia, MD to North Laurel, MD takes about 17 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate via Columbia Pike and the Patuxent Freeway, with a portion on I-95. Given the short distance, it's ideal for a single, easy excursion rather than an overnight stay. The estimated fuel cost is a modest $2, so you won't need to budget much for gas. This route stays within the Northeast region, offering a straightforward journey through Maryland.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 17m. Total distance: 11.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
17m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (42%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Drive Character
Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 42% of it being highway driving. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.2 miles on Columbia Pike. This means you'll experience a blend of faster highway speeds and potentially more local road conditions as you progress toward North Laurel. The transition between these road types should keep the drive engaging without being overly demanding, offering a varied driving experience over the short distance.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 13 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Columbia Pike is the longest continuous segment at about 4.2 miles.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
407 ft
292 ft
Total Climb
165 ft
Total Descent
268 ft
Highest Point
407 ft
Elevation Range
115 ft
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. 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
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 11.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
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 10 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...
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
7
10.3 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the exit toward MD 216 West: Scaggsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 35B
Toward MD 216 West: Scaggsville
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Pike | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| Patuxent Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| I 95 | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| MD 216 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Clarksville Pike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Columbia Pike
— 4.2 mi, about 5m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MD and North Laurel, 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
1.9 mi
·
2 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 35B
Toward MD 216 West: Scaggsville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto MD 216
0.5 mi
·
47 sec
·
MD 216
13
Arrive at destination
MD 216
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$1.89 one way
$3.78 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
4 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.07 | $4.14 |
| premium | $4.93 | $2.21 | $4.42 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $2.52 | $5.03 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$2
Estimated CO2 emission: 4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 75% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 3.4 | 0 | $1.20 | $0.55 |
| Efficient EV | 2.9 | 0 | $1.00 | $0.46 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 4.6 | 0 | $1.60 | $0.73 |
Gas CO2
4 kg
EV CO2
1 kg (75% 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
North Laurel, MD
Morning in North Laurel on Friday
Local time
6:01 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
17m 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 North Laurel, MD covers 11.4 miles and takes about 17m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Columbia Pike, Patuxent Freeway, I 95. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 5.7 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 $1.89 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 10 decision points packed into just 11.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 17m.
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 North Laurel, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Mostly flat terrain. The route ranges from 292 ft to 407 ft elevation with about 165 ft of total climbing.
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. Elevation is sampled from USGS 3DEP. 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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