Origin
Fort Washington, MD
Afternoon in Fort Washington on Saturday
Local time
4:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Washington, MD to Chesapeake Beach, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 1m
Distance
37.9 mi
61 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Fair
3 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 56m
★
6 AM
1h 1m
8 AM
1h 11m
10 AM
1h 4m
12 PM
1h 3m
3 PM
1h 5m
5 PM
1h 10m
8 PM
0h 58m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Washington, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Chesapeake Beach, MD
Carly Dernetz
Trip Overview
The drive from Fort Washington, MD to Chesapeake Beach, MD covers 37.9 miles and takes about 1h 1m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on MD 260, Pennsylvania Avenue, Allentown Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9 miles on MD 260. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.28 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MD 260 | 9 mi | 15m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 6.3 mi | 8m |
| Allentown Road | 6.2 mi | 10m |
| Stephanie Roper Highway | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| Indian Head Highway | 3.7 mi | 5m |
| Southern Maryland Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Old Fort Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Palmer Road | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
MD 260
— 9 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Washington, MD and Chesapeake Beach, MD.
1
Start on Warburton Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Warburton Drive
2
At end of road, turn right onto Fort Washington Road
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
Fort Washington Road
3
Turn right onto Old Fort Road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Fort Road
4
Turn left onto MD 210
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Indian Head Highway
5
Turn right onto Palmer Road
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Palmer Road
6
Continue on Tucker Road
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Tucker Road
7
Continue on Allentown Road
6.2 mi
·
10 min
·
Allentown Road
Use the straight / left lanes.
8
Merge onto MD 337
0.5 mi
·
52 sec
·
Suitland Parkway
9
Turn right onto MD 4
6.3 mi
·
8 min
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on MD 4
4.9 mi
·
6 min
·
Stephanie Roper Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Continue on MD 4
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Southern Maryland Boulevard
12
Take the exit onto MD 260
9.0 mi
·
15 min
·
MD 260
Toward Maryland 260, Chesapeake Beach, North Beach, Recreation Areas
Use the straight lane.
13
At end of road, turn right onto MD 261
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Bayside Road
Use the right lane.
14
Turn left onto 17th Street
480 ft
·
31 sec
·
17th Street
15
Turn right onto C Street
56 ft
·
3 sec
·
C Street
16
Arrive at destination
C Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 37.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 19 miles from Fort Washington, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 37.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Fort Washington Road
At end of road, turn right onto Fort Washington Road
Navigation decision point
5
15.3 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
MD 4 / Pennsylvania Avenue
Turn right onto MD 4 / Pennsylvania Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
28.2 mi into trip
|
~43m in
|
MD 260
Take the exit onto MD 260 toward Maryland 260, Chesapeake Beach, North Beach, Recreation Areas
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight lane.
Toward Maryland 260, Chesapeake Beach, North Be...
6
37.2 mi into trip
|
~58m in
|
MD 261 / Bayside Road
At end of road, turn right onto MD 261 / Bayside Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
37.9 mi into trip
|
~1h in
|
C Street
Turn right onto C Street
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.28 one way
$12.57 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.88 | $13.76 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.35 | $14.70 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.37 | $16.74 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 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 | 11.4 | 0 | $3.98 | $1.82 |
| Efficient EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.31 | $2.43 |
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.
Destination
Chesapeake Beach, MD
Afternoon in Chesapeake Beach on Saturday
Local time
4:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°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
5 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
1h 1m 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?
37.9 mi in 1h 1m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 25% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 9 mi on MD 260.
How Hard Is This Drive?
5/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.3 miles in near Fort Washington Road.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 37.9 miles you will encounter 9 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Fort Washington Road): Navigation decision point; at 15.3 miles (MD 4 / Pennsylvania Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (MD 260): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fort Washington, MD and Chesapeake Beach, MD, road signs point toward Maryland 260, Beach and Recreation Areas.
Maryland 260
28.2 mi in
|
~43m
|
via MD 260
Beach
28.2 mi in
|
~43m
|
via MD 260
Recreation Areas
28.2 mi in
|
~43m
|
via MD 260
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 37.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (25%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 9 miles on MD 260. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.3 miles (Fort Washington Road): Navigation decision point; at 15.3 miles (MD 4 / Pennsylvania Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 28.2 miles (MD 260): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Chesapeake Beach, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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