Origin
Friendly, MD
Late night in Friendly on Friday
Local time
5:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Friendly, MD to Bethesda, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
45m
Distance
21.5 mi
35 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Friendly, MD
Iqbal farooz
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Friendly, MD to Bethesda, MD covers 21.5 miles and takes about 45m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Indian Head Highway, Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Southeast Freeway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 4.6 miles on Indian Head Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.56 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 21.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
45m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (30%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Friendly, MD to Bethesda, MD covers 21.5 miles and takes about 45m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 32 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Indian Head Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 4.6 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 6.7 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 23 decision points packed into just 21.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 6.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 9.1 miles (I 695 / Southeast Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 23 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
6.7 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 295 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward I 295 North
9
9.1 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
I 695 / Southeast Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 695 / Southeast Freeway toward I 695: Downtown, Capitol Hill
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
Exit 5A
Toward I 695: Downtown, Capitol Hill
9
11.7 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Take the exit toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4B-A
Toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Nort...
10
11.9 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4B
Toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
6
12.1 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight left at fork toward D Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward D Street
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Friendly, MD and Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward Dhs, Capitol Hill, Maine Avenue Southwest, 12Th Street Northwest and Downtown.
Dhs
6.6 mi in
|
~12m
Capitol Hill
9.1 mi in
|
~16m
|
via I 695
Maine Avenue Southwest
11.7 mi in
|
~21m
12Th Street Northwest
11.7 mi in
|
~21m
Downtown
11.7 mi in
|
~21m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Head Highway | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| Massachusetts Avenue Northwest | 3.2 mi | 9m |
| Southeast Freeway | 2.3 mi | 3m |
| Anacostia Freeway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Little Falls Parkway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| South Capitol Street | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Old Fort Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Indian Head Highway
— 4.6 mi, about 7m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Friendly, MD and Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on Old Fort Road
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Fort Road
2
Turn right onto MD 210
4.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Indian Head Highway
Use the right lane.
3
Continue on South Capitol Street
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
South Capitol Street
4
Turn slight right
0.1 mi
·
18 sec
Toward I 295 North: Malcolm X Avenue, Dorothea Dix Avenue, DHS
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Keep slight left at fork
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward I 295 North
6
Merge onto I 295
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Anacostia Freeway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 695
2.3 mi
·
3 min
·
Southeast Freeway
Exit 5A
Toward I 695: Downtown, Capitol Hill
Use the slight left / straight lanes.
8
Continue on I 395
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Southwest Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 4B-A
Toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
10
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 4B
Toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
513 ft
·
16 sec
Toward D Street
12
Turn right onto 12th Street Southwest
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
12th Street Southwest
13
Turn left onto Independence Avenue Southwest
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Independence Avenue Southwest
Use the left lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork onto 17th Street Southwest
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
17th Street Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Continue on 17th Street Northwest
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
17th Street Northwest
Use the straight / left lanes.
16
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
17
Turn right onto 22nd Street Northwest
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
22nd Street Northwest
Use the straight / slight right / right lanes.
18
Turn left onto P Street Northwest
209 ft
·
7 sec
·
P Street Northwest
19
Turn right
521 ft
·
19 sec
20
Turn straight onto Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
21
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Massachusetts Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
22
Continue on Waterside Drive Northwest
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Waterside Drive Northwest
23
Turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
2.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
24
Enter roundabout onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
213 ft
·
5 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
25
Continue on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
26
Enter roundabout onto MD 396
199 ft
·
3 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue
27
Continue on MD 396
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
28
Turn right onto Little Falls Parkway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Little Falls Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
29
Turn right onto Arlington Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Arlington Road
30
Turn left onto Bethesda Avenue
510 ft
·
22 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
31
Turn left
44 ft
·
3 sec
32
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.56 one way
$7.13 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.90 | $7.81 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.17 | $8.34 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.75 | $9.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.5 | 0 | $2.26 | $1.03 |
| Efficient EV | 5.4 | 0 | $1.88 | $0.86 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.01 | $1.38 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Bethesda, MD
Late night in Bethesda on Friday
Local time
5:52 AM
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 cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
45m 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 Friendly, MD to Bethesda, MD covers 21.5 miles and takes about 45m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Indian Head Highway, Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, Southeast Freeway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.8 miles from Friendly, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.56 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 is a short but busy drive. With 23 decision points packed into just 21.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.
The main spots that need attention: at 6.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully; at 9.1 miles (I 695 / Southeast Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Friendly, MD and Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward Dhs, Capitol Hill, Maine Avenue Southwest, 12Th Street Northwest and Downtown.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.
How this page is built
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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