Origin
Gaithersburg, MD
Afternoon in Gaithersburg on Saturday
Local time
3:43 PM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Glenn Dale, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
29.7 mi
48 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 42m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 44m
3 PM
0h 45m
5 PM
0h 49m
8 PM
0h 40m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Glenn Dale, MD
RDNE Stock project
Trip Overview
The drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Glenn Dale, MD covers 29.7 miles and takes about 42m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, I 270, Greenbelt Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.4 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.92 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 13.4 mi | 17m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Greenbelt Road | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Baltimore-Washington Parkway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Diamond Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Chestnut Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Lanham Severn Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 13.4 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and Glenn Dale, MD.
1
Start on this road
85 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto MD 355
251 ft
·
12 sec
·
North Frederick Avenue
3
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
0.3 mi
·
49 sec
·
Chestnut Street
Use the left lane.
4
Turn right onto MD 117
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
West Diamond Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Toward I 270 South: Washington
6
Merge onto I 270
1.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Eisenhower Memorial Highway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
6.6 mi
·
9 min
·
I 270
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
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.
9
Merge onto I 495
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Exit 22A
Toward MD 295: North Baltimore
Use the right lane.
11
Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway
0.5 mi
·
43 sec
·
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
12
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward MD 193: Greenbelt, NASA Goddard, US Park Police
Use the slight right lane.
13
Keep slight left at fork
288 ft
·
8 sec
Toward MD 193 East
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Turn left onto MD 193
3.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Greenbelt Road
15
Turn right onto MD 564
0.1 mi
·
12 sec
·
Lanham Severn Road
16
Turn right
186 ft
·
8 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 26.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Chestnut Street
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
8
9.1 mi into trip
|
~13m 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
7
25.3 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward MD 295: North Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 22A
Toward MD 295: North Baltimore
7
26.1 mi into trip
|
~35m in
Take the exit toward MD 193: Greenbelt, NASA Goddard, US Park Police
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 193: Greenbelt, NASA Goddard, US Park...
8
26.2 mi into trip
|
~36m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 193 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MD 193 East
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.92 one way
$9.85 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.39 | $10.79 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.76 | $11.52 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.56 | $13.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.9 | 0 | $3.12 | $1.43 |
| Efficient EV | 7.4 | 0 | $2.60 | $1.19 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.9 | 0 | $4.16 | $1.90 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Glenn Dale, MD
Afternoon in Glenn Dale on Saturday
Local time
3:43 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
1 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
42m 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?
29.7 mi in 42m — 33% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Capital Beltway.
33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 13.4 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 0.1 miles in near Chestnut Street.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 14 decision points packed into just 29.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
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 Gaithersburg, MD and Glenn Dale, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Nasa Goddard and Us Park Police.
College Park
9.1 mi in
|
~13m
|
via I 270
Nasa Goddard
26.1 mi in
|
~35m
Us Park Police
26.1 mi in
|
~35m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 29.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (33%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.4 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Glenn Dale, 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 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield. 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 Glenn Dale, 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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