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Trip from Essex, MD to Arbutus, MD

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

Drive Time

27m

Distance

15.7 mi

25 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$3

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 7 min
4 AM
0h 25m ★
6 AM
0h 27m
8 AM
0h 32m
10 AM
0h 29m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 29m
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.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Arbutus, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 15.7-mile drive from Essex to Arbutus, Maryland, is easily manageable in just 27 minutes, making it a perfect quick trip. It's a straightforward journey primarily utilizing I-95 and local roads like Eastern Avenue and Eastern Boulevard. With a low estimated fuel cost of around $3, this route is very budget-friendly. Given its brevity, it’s ideal as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. The drive offers a mixed experience, connecting two points within Maryland's Northeast region without significant geographical changes.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 9 mi 12m
Eastern Avenue 2.5 mi 5m
Eastern Boulevard 1 mi 2m
Baltimore Beltway 1 mi 1m
Courtney Road 0.4 mi 1m
Westland Boulevard 0.3 mi <1m
Wilkens Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Linden Avenue <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 9 mi, about 12m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Essex, MD and Arbutus, 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

1.0 mi · 1 min · Baltimore Beltway
10

Take the exit

273 ft · 6 sec
Exit 12C; 12B Toward Wilkens Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 21 sec
Exit 12B Toward MD 372 East: Wilkens Avenue Use the slight right lane.
12

Turn straight onto MD 372

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Wilkens Avenue
13

Turn right onto Courtney Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Courtney Road
14

Turn right onto Westland Boulevard

0.3 mi · 55 sec · Westland Boulevard
15

Turn left onto Linden Avenue

278 ft · 12 sec · Linden Avenue
16

Turn right onto Shelbourne Road

75 ft · 2 sec · Shelbourne Road
17

Arrive at destination

Shelbourne Road

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 14.6 — 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

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
14.5 mi into trip | ~24m in

Take the exit toward Wilkens Avenue

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 12C; 12B Toward Wilkens Avenue
9
14.6 mi into trip | ~24m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 372 East: Wilkens Avenue

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 12B Toward MD 372 East: Wilkens Avenue

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.60 one way

$5.21 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 6 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $2.85 $5.70
premium $4.93 $3.04 $6.09
diesel $5.61 $3.47 $6.93

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$3

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.7 0 $1.65 $0.75
Efficient EV 3.9 0 $1.37 $0.63
EV Truck/SUV 6.3 0 $2.20 $1.00

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 17, 2026

Origin

Essex, MD

Afternoon in Essex on Saturday

Local time

4:41 PM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Arbutus, MD

Afternoon in Arbutus on Saturday

Local time

4:41 PM

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

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

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?

Expect a mixed drive on this 15.7-mile route, with 58% of it on highways. You'll encounter a longest stretch of 9 miles on I-95, offering a period of consistent, faster travel. The remainder of the journey will involve navigating local arteries like Eastern Avenue and Eastern Boulevard. This transition from interstate speeds to more urban road conditions is a key characteristic of the drive, requiring adjustments in your driving pace as you progress toward Arbutus.

58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 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?

9/10

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 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 13 decision points packed into just 15.7 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 6 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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: 15.7 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 (58%). 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 Arbutus, 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 6 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arbutus, MD before heading back.

How this page is built

Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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