Origin
Garrison, MD
Morning in Garrison on Friday
Local time
10:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Garrison, MD to Gaithersburg, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 3m
Distance
45.3 mi
73 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 58m
★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 7m
12 PM
1h 6m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 13m
8 PM
1h 0m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Garrison, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Trip Overview
This 45.3-mile drive from Garrison to Gaithersburg, Maryland, is a straightforward, single-day trip taking about 1 hour and 3 minutes. Primarily using Columbia Pike, the Intercounty Connector, and the Baltimore Beltway, it offers a practical way to travel between these two Northeast region locations. With an estimated fuel cost of $8, this route is budget-friendly for a quick excursion. The drive is best suited for a single day, with no need for an overnight stop. Its turn-heavy local drive profile means you'll be navigating city streets and connecting roads for much of the journey.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 45.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 45.3-mile journey, with only a 9% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 16.4 miles on Columbia Pike, offering a brief period of more consistent travel before transitioning back to more complex road networks. While not a fast-paced highway cruise, this route provides a good mix of navigating local roads and utilizing major arteries like the Baltimore Beltway. The road character will likely shift as you progress, moving from more suburban stretches to areas with more frequent intersections and traffic signals.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 19 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Columbia Pike is the longest continuous segment at about 16.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
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 7.3 miles in.
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 45.3 miles you will encounter 13 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 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; 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 13 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
8
7.3 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 70 East, I 70 West: Local Traffic, Frederick
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 16A; 16B
Toward I 70 East, I 70 West: Local Traffic, Fre...
8
7.5 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 70 West: Frederick
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 16A
Toward I 70 West: Frederick
8
11.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
Take the exit toward US 29 South: Columbia, Washington, Ellicott City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 87A
Toward US 29 South: Columbia, Washington, Ellic...
7
29.1 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 200 Toll West
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward MD 200 Toll West
8
43.1 mi into trip
|
~58m in
Take the exit toward MD 355: Rockville, Gaithersburg
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 2
Toward MD 355: Rockville, Gaithersburg
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Garrison, MD and Gaithersburg, MD, road signs point toward Frederick, Washington and Ellicott City.
Frederick
7.3 mi in
|
~12m
Washington
11.7 mi in
|
~17m
Ellicott City
11.7 mi in
|
~17m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Pike | 16.4 mi | 21m |
| Intercounty Connector | 13 mi | 16m |
| Baltimore Beltway | 5.1 mi | 6m |
| I 70 | 3.7 mi | 3m |
| Reisterstown Road | 1.9 mi | 3m |
| South Frederick Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| I 370 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Frederick Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Columbia Pike
— 16.4 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Garrison, MD and Gaithersburg, MD.
1
Start on Kenmar Avenue
44 ft
·
8 sec
·
Kenmar Avenue
2
Turn left onto MD 140
1.9 mi
·
3 min
·
Reisterstown Road
Use the left lane.
3
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
59 sec
Toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie
4
Merge onto I 695
5.1 mi
·
6 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 16A; 16B
Toward I 70 East, I 70 West: Local Traffic, Frederick
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 16A
Toward I 70 West: Frederick
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
7
Merge onto I 70
3.7 mi
·
3 min
·
I 70
8
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Exit 87A
Toward US 29 South: Columbia, Washington, Ellicott City
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto US 29
16 mi
·
21 min
·
Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward MD 200 Toll
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward MD 200 Toll West
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto MD 200 Toll
6.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Intercounty Connector
13
Continue on MD 200 Toll
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Intercounty Connector
Exit 8A
14
Continue on I 370
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 370
15
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 2
Toward MD 355: Rockville, Gaithersburg
Use the slight right lane.
16
Turn right onto MD 355
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Frederick Road
17
Continue on MD 355
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
South Frederick Avenue
18
Turn left
85 ft
·
6 sec
19
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 22.6 mi from Garrison, MD · 32m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 22.6 miles from Garrison, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Gaithersburg, MD
The final approach into Gaithersburg, MD usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.51 one way
$15.02 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
16 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $8.23 | $16.45 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.79 | $17.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $10.00 | $20.00 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.17 |
| Efficient EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.1 | 0 | $6.34 | $2.90 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (69% 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
Gaithersburg, MD
Morning in Gaithersburg on Friday
Local time
10:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
1h 3m 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 Garrison, MD to Gaithersburg, MD covers 45.3 miles and takes about 1h 3m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Columbia Pike, Intercounty Connector, Baltimore Beltway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 22.6 miles from Garrison, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.51 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 45.3 miles you will encounter 13 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
The main spots that need attention: at 7.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 11.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between Garrison, MD and Gaithersburg, MD, road signs point toward Frederick, Washington and Ellicott City.
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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