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Trip from Frederick, MD to Adelphi, MD

Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026

Drive Time

1h

Distance

42.9 mi

69 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 55m ★
6 AM
1h 0m
8 AM
1h 10m
10 AM
1h 3m
12 PM
1h 2m
3 PM
1h 4m
5 PM
1h 9m
8 PM
0h 57m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

city in Frederick County, Maryland, United States

Frederick, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Adelphi, MD, MD

Adelphi, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Frederick, MD to Adelphi, MD covers 42.9 miles and takes about 1h behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Eisenhower Memorial Highway, I 270, Capital Beltway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.6 miles on Eisenhower Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.11 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h. Total distance: 42.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h drive with frequent turns across 42.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Eisenhower Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 21.6 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near North Market Street.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 42.9 miles you will encounter 13 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: near the start (North Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (North East Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 13 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

5
0 mi into trip | ~0m in | North Market Street

Turn right onto North Market Street

Navigation decision point

6
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | North East Street

Turn right onto North East Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
6
24.7 mi into trip | ~34m in | I 270

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
31.3 mi into trip | ~43m in | I 270

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
8
41.4 mi into trip | ~56m in

Take the exit toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South, Takoma Park

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 28B Toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South...

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Frederick, MD to Adelphi, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.

College Park

31.3 mi in | ~43m | via I 270

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Eisenhower Memorial Highway 21.6 mi 27m
I 270 9.4 mi 12m
Capital Beltway 7.3 mi 9m
Buckeystown Pike 1.7 mi 3m
North East Street 0.6 mi 1m
Adelphi Road 0.6 mi 1m
New Hampshire Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
East Church Street 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Eisenhower Memorial Highway — 21.6 mi, about 27m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Frederick, MD and Adelphi, MD.

1

Start on MD 144

122 ft · 7 sec · East Patrick Street
2

Turn right onto North Market Street

435 ft · 18 sec · North Market Street
3

Turn right onto East Church Street

0.3 mi · 47 sec · East Church Street
4

Turn right onto North East Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · North East Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Enter roundabout onto East Street

101 ft · 1 sec · East Street
6

Continue on East Street

0.1 mi · 14 sec · East Street
7

Continue on MD 85

1.7 mi · 3 min · Buckeystown Pike
8

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Toward I 270 South
9

Merge onto I 270

22 mi · 27 min · Eisenhower Memorial Highway
Use the right lane.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

6.6 mi · 9 min · I 270
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 270
Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park Use the slight left / straight lanes.
12

Merge onto I 495

7.3 mi · 9 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 28B Toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South, Takoma Park Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Turn straight onto MD 650

0.4 mi · 55 sec · New Hampshire Avenue
15

Turn left onto Adelphi Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Adelphi Road
16

Turn right onto Edwards Way

0.1 mi · 20 sec · Edwards Way
17

Turn right onto MD 212

0.1 mi · 13 sec · Riggs Road
18

Arrive at destination

MD 212

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 21.5 mi from Frederick, MD · 30m into the drive

Downtown Gaithersburg, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Gaithersburg, MD

21 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.

Popular next leg

Gaithersburg, MD to Adelphi, MD

20.7 mi · 30m

Pacing Suggestions

Silver Spring, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 42.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Gaithersburg, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.5 miles from Frederick, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Adelphi, MD

The final approach into Adelphi, MD usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.11 one way

$14.22 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $7.79 $15.58
premium $4.93 $8.32 $16.64
diesel $5.61 $9.47 $18.94

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.9 0 $4.50 $2.06
Efficient EV 10.7 0 $3.75 $1.72
EV Truck/SUV 17.2 0 $6.01 $2.75

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Frederick, MD

Night in Frederick on Thursday

Local time

9:03 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Adelphi, MD

Night in Adelphi on Thursday

Local time

9:03 PM

EDT

Current temp

52°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

15 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 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 Frederick, MD to Adelphi, MD covers 42.9 miles and takes about 1h without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Eisenhower Memorial Highway, I 270, Capital Beltway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 21.5 miles from Frederick, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.11 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 42.9 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (North East Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Frederick, MD to Adelphi, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.

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