Origin
Essex, MD
Afternoon in Essex on Saturday
Local time
2:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Essex, MD to Catonsville, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
27m
Distance
16.4 mi
26 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Catonsville, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Essex, MD to Catonsville, MD is 16.4 miles and takes about 27 minutes via I 95, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This is a short, straightforward drive primarily within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. You'll be navigating a mix of major roadways, making it a quick and efficient trip for local travel or a connecting leg. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a same-day excursion, allowing for plenty of flexibility in your schedule. Consider it a practical transit rather than a destination in itself.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 9 mi | 12m |
| Eastern Avenue | 2.5 mi | 5m |
| Baltimore Beltway | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Eastern Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
| Frederick Road | 0.5 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 9 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Essex, MD and Catonsville, MD.
1
Start on this road
359 ft
·
31 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
184 ft
·
15 sec
3
At end of road, turn right onto MD 150
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Eastern Boulevard
4
Continue on MD 150
2.5 mi
·
5 min
·
Eastern Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 95 South: Washington
Use the right lane.
6
Merge onto I 95
2.1 mi
·
2 min
·
I 95
7
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95
7.0 mi
·
9 min
·
I 95
Use the slight right lane.
8
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 49B
Toward I 695 West: Towson
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto I 695
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 13
Toward MD 144: Catonsville
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn left onto MD 144
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Frederick Road
Use the straight lane.
12
Turn right
37 ft
·
2 sec
13
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 15.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard
At end of road, turn right onto MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard
Navigation decision point
6
6 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
I 95
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
7
12.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward I 695 West: Towson
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 49B
Toward I 695 West: Towson
7
15.7 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward MD 144: Catonsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 13
Toward MD 144: Catonsville
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.72 one way
$5.44 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.98 | $5.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.18 | $6.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.62 | $7.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Catonsville, MD
Afternoon in Catonsville on Saturday
Local time
2:31 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°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
2 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
27m 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.
What kind of drive is this?
This drive offers a mixed experience, with 55% of it being highway driving. You'll spend a significant portion of the 16.4 miles on I 95, including a longest stretch of 9 miles uninterrupted. The route begins on Eastern Avenue before merging onto I 95 and then the Baltimore Beltway, meaning you'll encounter both city-adjacent roads and faster-paced interstate travel. Expect a dynamic drive that transitions from potentially more local traffic to higher speeds on the main arteries. It's a functional route designed for efficient movement.
55% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 around 0.1 miles in.
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 16.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 27m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
About the Cities
Starting in Essex, MD
Full guide →Southeast Baltimore, fittingly, covers the areas in the southeast of Baltimore, ranging from industrial wastelands to charming neighborhoods both quiet and hip.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 16.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9 miles on I 95. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Catonsville, MD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 6 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Catonsville, MD before heading back.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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