Origin
Greenbelt, MD
Afternoon in Greenbelt on Saturday
Local time
4:32 PM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Greenbelt, MD to Arbutus, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
23.6 mi
38 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Greenbelt, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Arbutus, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Greenbelt, MD to Arbutus, MD covers 23.6 miles and takes about 36m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Baltimore-Washington Parkway, Metropolitan Boulevard, Southwestern Boulevard for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 17.5 miles on Baltimore-Washington Parkway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.91 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Washington Parkway | 17.5 mi | 23m |
| Metropolitan Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 1m |
| Southwestern Boulevard | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Linden Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Southway | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Washington Boulevard | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Crescent Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Greenbelt Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
— 17.5 mi, about 23m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Greenbelt, MD and Arbutus, MD.
1
Start on Crescent Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Crescent Road
2
Turn left onto Southway
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Southway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
3
At end of road, turn left onto MD 193
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Greenbelt Road
4
Turn left
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward MD 295 North: Baltimore, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Use the left lane.
5
Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway
18 mi
·
23 min
·
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
37 sec
Toward I 195 West: Catonsville
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 195
1.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Metropolitan Boulevard
8
Take the exit
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
Exit 3
Toward US 1: Elkridge
Use the right lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork
337 ft
·
10 sec
Toward US 1 North: Halethorpe
10
Turn left onto US 1
0.4 mi
·
49 sec
·
Washington Boulevard
Use the left lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Southwestern Boulevard
Toward US 1 North
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn left onto Linden Avenue
112 ft
·
5 sec
·
Linden Avenue
Use the left lane.
13
Continue on Linden Avenue
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Linden Avenue
14
Turn left onto Shelbourne Road
75 ft
·
2 sec
·
Shelbourne Road
15
Arrive at destination
Shelbourne Road
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 1.2 and 21.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
1.2 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Turn left toward MD 295 North: Baltimore, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward MD 295 North: Baltimore, Baltimore/Washi...
6
18.9 mi into trip
|
~27m in
Take the exit toward I 195 West: Catonsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 195 West: Catonsville
7
20.8 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward US 1: Elkridge
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 3
Toward US 1: Elkridge
6
20.9 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 1 North: Halethorpe
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward US 1 North: Halethorpe
7
21.4 mi into trip
|
~31m in
|
US 1 / Southwestern Boulevard
Keep slight right at fork onto US 1 / Southwestern Boulevard toward US 1 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward US 1 North
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.91 one way
$7.83 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.29 | $8.57 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.58 | $9.15 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.21 | $10.42 |
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 | $2.48 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.07 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.30 | $1.51 |
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
Arbutus, MD
Afternoon in Arbutus on Saturday
Local time
4:32 PM
EDT
Current temp
79°F
Sunny
SE 13 mph
3% chance
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
10 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
36m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
What kind of drive is this?
23.6 mi in 36m, mostly highway — 17.5 mi of that is on Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
74% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.5 mi on Baltimore-Washington Parkway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Metropolitan Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 1.2 miles in.
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 12 decision points packed into just 23.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.8 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.
On the drive from Greenbelt, MD to Arbutus, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport along the way.
Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
1.2 mi in
|
~3m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 23.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (74%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.5 miles on Baltimore-Washington Parkway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.
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 Arbutus, 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 1.2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 20.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. 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 Arbutus, 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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