Origin
Germantown, MD
Late night in Germantown on Friday
Local time
5:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Germantown, MD to Frederick, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
31m
Distance
21.2 mi
34 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 29m
★
6 AM
0h 32m
8 AM
0h 37m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 33m
3 PM
0h 34m
5 PM
0h 37m
8 PM
0h 30m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Germantown, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Frederick, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 21.2-mile drive from Germantown, MD, to Frederick, MD, is easily manageable in about 31 minutes. With no highway driving, it's a local road experience that's perfect for a single-day trip. You'll navigate using roads like Germantown Road, Washington National Pike, and the Eisenhower Memorial Highway. This route falls entirely within the Northeast region, connecting two points in Maryland. Expect a modest fuel cost of around $4 for this journey. Given its brevity, this trip doesn't require an overnight stay.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 21.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be making frequent turns rather than cruising on a consistent highway. With 0% highway share, prepare for a more engaged driving experience on local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.4 miles on the Eisenhower Memorial Highway. The roads will likely feel more like surface streets and main arteries rather than high-speed expressways, requiring constant attention to navigation 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.
Eisenhower Memorial Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 13.4 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 12 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 21.2 miles you will encounter 12 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (Liberty Mill Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.5 miles (MD 118 / Germantown Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 12 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
6
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Liberty Mill Road
Turn sharp left onto Liberty Mill Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
MD 118 / Germantown Road
Turn right onto MD 118 / Germantown Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
6
2.2 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Turn left toward I 270 North: Frederick
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 270 North: Frederick
8
18.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward MD 85: Frederick, Buckeystown
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 31
Toward MD 85: Frederick, Buckeystown
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Germantown, MD to Frederick, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Buckeystown along the way.
Buckeystown
18.3 mi in
|
~25m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 13.4 mi | 16m |
| Washington National Pike | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| Germantown Road | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Buckeystown Pike | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| East Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Liberty Mill Road | 0.3 mi | 1m |
| South Carroll Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Dawson Farm Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Eisenhower Memorial Highway
— 13.4 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Germantown, MD and Frederick, MD.
1
Start on this road
10 ft
·
6 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
68 ft
·
10 sec
3
Turn sharp left onto Liberty Mill Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Liberty Mill Road
4
Turn right onto Dawson Farm Road
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Dawson Farm Road
5
Turn right onto MD 118
1.7 mi
·
3 min
·
Germantown Road
Use the left lane.
6
Turn left
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Toward I 270 North: Frederick
Use the left lane.
7
Merge onto I 270
5.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Eisenhower Memorial Highway
8
Continue on I 270
2.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Washington National Pike
9
Continue on I 270
8.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Eisenhower Memorial Highway
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Exit 31
Toward MD 85: Frederick, Buckeystown
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto MD 85
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Buckeystown Pike
Use the straight lane.
12
Continue on MD 85
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
·
Buckeystown Pike
13
Continue on East Street
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
East Street
14
Enter roundabout onto East Street
119 ft
·
2 sec
·
East Street
15
Continue on East Street
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
·
East Street
16
Turn left onto MD 144
0.1 mi
·
24 sec
·
East South Street
17
Turn right onto South Carroll Street
0.2 mi
·
45 sec
·
South Carroll Street
18
Turn left onto MD 144
0.2 mi
·
25 sec
·
East Patrick Street
19
Arrive at destination
MD 144
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.51 one way
$7.03 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.85 | $7.70 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.11 | $8.22 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.68 | $9.36 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 71% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.4 | 0 | $2.23 | $1.02 |
| Efficient EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.85 | $0.85 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.97 | $1.36 |
Gas CO2
7 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (71% 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
Frederick, MD
Late night in Frederick on Friday
Local time
5:48 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°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
8 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
31m 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 Germantown, MD to Frederick, MD covers 21.2 miles and takes about 31m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Eisenhower Memorial Highway, Washington National Pike, Germantown Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10.6 miles from Germantown, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.51 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 21.2 miles you will encounter 12 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: near the start: Navigation decision point; near the start (Liberty Mill Road): Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach; at 0.5 miles (MD 118 / Germantown Road): Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Germantown, MD to Frederick, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Buckeystown along the way.
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. 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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