Origin
Gaithersburg, MD
Late night in Gaithersburg on Saturday
Local time
12:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to University Park, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
23.7 mi
38 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 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
University Park, MD
DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ
Trip Overview
The drive from Gaithersburg, MD to University Park, MD covers 23.7 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 270, Capital Beltway, Adelphi Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 9.4 miles on I 270. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.93 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 23.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
The drive from Gaithersburg, MD to University Park, MD covers 23.7 miles and takes about 38m, 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 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 270 is the longest continuous segment at about 9.4 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
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 14 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Chestnut Street
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.5 mi into trip
|
~4m 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
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
8
19.2 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South, Takoma Park
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 28B
Toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South...
6
19.9 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
Adelphi Road
Turn left onto Adelphi Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
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 University Park, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Takoma Park.
College Park
9.1 mi in
|
~13m
|
via I 270
Takoma Park
19.2 mi in
|
~27m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Capital Beltway | 7.3 mi | 9m |
| Adelphi Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| West Diamond Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| New Hampshire Avenue | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Wells Parkway | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Wells Parkway East | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 9.4 mi, about 12m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and University Park, 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
7.3 mi
·
9 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
Exit 28B
Toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South, Takoma Park
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Turn straight onto MD 650
0.4 mi
·
55 sec
·
New Hampshire Avenue
12
Turn left onto Adelphi Road
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Adelphi Road
Use the left lane.
13
Turn left onto Wells Parkway
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Wells Parkway
14
Continue on Wells Parkway East
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Wells Parkway East
15
Turn left onto Beechwood Road
311 ft
·
15 sec
·
Beechwood Road
16
Turn right onto Underwood Street
0.2 mi
·
59 sec
·
Underwood Street
17
Turn left onto Queens Chapel Road
56 ft
·
1 sec
·
Queens Chapel Road
18
Arrive at destination
Queens Chapel Road
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.93 one way
$7.86 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.30 | $8.61 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.60 | $9.19 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.23 | $10.47 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.3 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 | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.95 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
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
University Park, MD
Late night in University Park on Saturday
Local time
12:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°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
5 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
38m 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 University Park, MD covers 23.7 miles and takes about 38m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 270, Capital Beltway, Adelphi Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 11.9 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 $3.93 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 14 decision points packed into just 23.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.
Between Gaithersburg, MD and University Park, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Takoma Park.
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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