Origin
Gaithersburg, MD
Morning in Gaithersburg on Saturday
Local time
9:27 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Goddard, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
39m
Distance
27.6 mi
44 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 46m
10 AM
0h 42m
12 PM
0h 41m
3 PM
0h 42m
5 PM
0h 46m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Goddard, MD
RDNE Stock project
Trip Overview
The drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Goddard, MD covers 27.6 miles and takes about 39m 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, Eisenhower Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13.4 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.58 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 39m. Total distance: 27.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
39m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Goddard, MD covers 27.6 miles and takes about 39m, 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 17 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 13.4 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 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 13 decision points packed into just 27.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
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
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 Goddard, 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
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 13.4 mi | 17m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Greenbelt Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Baltimore-Washington Parkway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| West Diamond Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Chestnut Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Cipriano 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 Goddard, 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
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Greenbelt Road
15
Turn right onto Cipriano Road
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Cipriano Road
16
Turn left
425 ft
·
31 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.58 one way
$9.15 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.01 | $10.02 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.35 | $10.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.09 | $12.19 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 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 | 8.3 | 0 | $2.90 | $1.32 |
| Efficient EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.42 | $1.10 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11 | 0 | $3.86 | $1.77 |
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
Goddard, MD
Morning in Goddard on Saturday
Local time
9:27 AM
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
21 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
39m 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 Gaithersburg, MD to Goddard, MD covers 27.6 miles and takes about 39m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, I 270, Eisenhower Memorial Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 13.8 miles from Gaithersburg, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $4.58 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 13 decision points packed into just 27.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 39m.
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.
Between Gaithersburg, MD and Goddard, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Nasa Goddard and Us Park Police.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield.
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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