Origin
Frederick, MD
Late night in Frederick on Friday
Local time
1:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Frederick, MD to Mellwood, MD
Compiled by the Trip.ovh editorial team · Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026 · Methodology
Drive Time
1h 25m
Distance
62.5 mi
101 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 19m
★
6 AM
1h 25m
8 AM
1h 38m
10 AM
1h 30m
12 PM
1h 29m
3 PM
1h 31m
5 PM
1h 38m
8 PM
1h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Frederick, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Mellwood, MD
Jason Morrison
Trip Overview
The drive from Frederick, MD to Mellwood, MD covers 62.5 miles and takes about 1h 25m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Eisenhower Memorial Highway, I 270 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 24.7 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $10.36 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 25m. Total distance: 62.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 25m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 25m drive with frequent turns across 62.5 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.
Capital Beltway is the longest continuous segment at about 24.7 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 around 0.4 miles in near North East Street.
Driving Effort
8/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 62.5 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.4 miles (North East Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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
58.8 mi into trip
|
~1h 19m in
Take the exit toward MD 4 South/East: Pennsylvania Avenue, Upper Marlboro
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 11A
Toward MD 4 South/East: Pennsylvania Avenue, Up...
7
62.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 24m in
Take the exit toward MD 223: Woodyard Road, Westphalia, Clinton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward MD 223: Woodyard Road, Westphalia, Clint...
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Frederick, MD and Mellwood, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Upper Marlboro.
College Park
31.3 mi in
|
~43m
|
via I 270
Upper Marlboro
58.8 mi in
|
~1h 19m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 24.7 mi | 32m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 21.6 mi | 27m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Pennsylvania Avenue | 2.9 mi | 4m |
| Buckeystown Pike | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| North East Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Church Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Woodyard Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 24.7 mi, about 32m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Frederick, MD and Mellwood, 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
25 mi
·
32 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
43 sec
Exit 11A
Toward MD 4 South/East: Pennsylvania Avenue, Upper Marlboro
Use the right lane.
14
Merge onto MD 4
2.9 mi
·
4 min
·
Pennsylvania Avenue
15
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward MD 223: Woodyard Road, Westphalia, Clinton
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto MD 223
0.2 mi
·
23 sec
·
Woodyard Road
17
Turn left onto Marlboro Pike
128 ft
·
5 sec
·
Marlboro Pike
Use the left lane.
18
Arrive at destination
Marlboro Pike
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 31.2 mi from Frederick, MD · 43m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
31 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 31.2 miles from Frederick, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Mellwood, MD
The final approach into Mellwood, 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
$10.36 one way
$20.72 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
22 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $11.35 | $22.70 |
| premium | $4.93 | $12.12 | $24.24 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $13.80 | $27.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 18.8 | 0 | $6.56 | $3.00 |
| Efficient EV | 15.6 | 0 | $5.47 | $2.50 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25 | 0 | $8.75 | $4.00 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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
Mellwood, MD
Late night in Mellwood on Friday
Local time
1:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
17 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 25m 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 Mellwood, MD covers 62.5 miles and takes about 1h 25m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Eisenhower Memorial Highway, I 270. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 31.2 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 $10.36 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 62.5 miles you will encounter 14 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: 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; at 31.3 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Frederick, MD and Mellwood, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Upper Marlboro.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Monocacy National Battlefield, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. There are 5 parks within detour distance of this route.
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