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Trip from Frederick, MD to Greenbelt, MD

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

Drive Time

1h 6m

Distance

48 mi

77 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 16 min
4 AM
1h 1m ★
6 AM
1h 6m
8 AM
1h 17m
10 AM
1h 10m
12 PM
1h 9m
3 PM
1h 11m
5 PM
1h 16m
8 PM
1h 3m

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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city in Frederick County, Maryland, United States

Frederick, MD

Wikimedia Commons

city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Greenbelt, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Frederick, MD to Greenbelt, MD covers 48 miles and takes about 1h 6m 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, Capital Beltway, I 270 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.6 miles on Eisenhower Memorial Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.96 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Eisenhower Memorial Highway 21.6 mi 27m
Capital Beltway 12.2 mi 15m
I 270 9.4 mi 12m
Buckeystown Pike 1.7 mi 3m
Crescent Road 1 mi 2m
North East Street 0.6 mi 1m
Kenilworth 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 Greenbelt, 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

12 mi · 15 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 46 sec
Exit 23 Toward MD 201: Greenbelt, Bladensburg Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Keep slight left at fork

292 ft · 11 sec
Toward MD 201 North: Kenilworth Avenue, Greenbelt Use the left lane.
15

Turn straight onto MD 201

0.4 mi · 39 sec · Kenilworth Avenue
16

Turn right onto Crescent Road

1.0 mi · 2 min · Crescent Road
17

Arrive at destination

Crescent Road

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Rockville, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Rockville, MD

24 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

Germantown, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Gaithersburg, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24 miles from Frederick, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 46.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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
46.3 mi into trip | ~1h 2m in

Take the exit toward MD 201: Greenbelt, Bladensburg

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 23 Toward MD 201: Greenbelt, Bladensburg
8
46.6 mi into trip | ~1h 3m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 201 North: Kenilworth Avenue, Greenbelt

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

Use the left lane. Toward MD 201 North: Kenilworth Avenue, Greenbe...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.96 one way

$15.92 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.72 $17.43
premium $4.93 $9.31 $18.62
diesel $5.61 $10.60 $21.20

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.4 0 $5.04 $2.30
Efficient EV 12 0 $4.20 $1.92
EV Truck/SUV 19.2 0 $6.72 $3.07

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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

Afternoon in Frederick on Saturday

Local time

2:13 PM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Greenbelt, MD

Afternoon in Greenbelt on Saturday

Local time

2:13 PM

EDT

Current temp

69°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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

1h 6m 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?

48 mi in 1h 6m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.6 mi on Eisenhower Memorial Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48 miles you will encounter 11 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.

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 Greenbelt, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.

College Park

31.3 mi in | ~43m | via I 270

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 6m. Total distance: 48 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 6m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 21.6 miles on Eisenhower Memorial Highway. 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 Greenbelt, 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 0.4 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.

Yes — Monocacy National Battlefield, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (5 total within detour distance). 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 Greenbelt, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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