Origin
Highland, MD
Morning in Highland on Friday
Local time
10:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Highland, 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
27m
Distance
17 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 25m
★
6 AM
0h 28m
8 AM
0h 33m
10 AM
0h 30m
12 PM
0h 29m
3 PM
0h 30m
5 PM
0h 32m
8 PM
0h 26m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Highland, MD
Rámon van Raaij
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Trip Overview
This 17-mile drive from Highland to Gaithersburg, Maryland, should take about 27 minutes, making it a perfect option for a single-day trip. You'll primarily navigate using the Intercounty Connector, Ashton Road, and Olney Sandy Spring Road. With an estimated fuel cost of just $3, this short excursion is very budget-friendly. The route is characterized by numerous turns, offering a more engaging local driving experience rather than a straightforward highway cruise. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, so you won't be crossing any major geographical boundaries on this short hop.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 27m. Total distance: 17 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
27m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (3%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile.
Drive Character
Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 17-mile journey. While about 3% of the drive involves highway travel, the majority of your time will be spent on local roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 5.3 miles on the Intercounty Connector. This route isn't a monotonous interstate grind; instead, it's a blend of faster highway segments and more intricate local roads with frequent turns. The road's personality shifts as you progress, moving from potentially quicker sections to more community-oriented streets.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 14 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Intercounty Connector is the longest continuous segment at about 5.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MD 108 / Clarksville Pike.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 27m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 108 / Clarksville Pike): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (Old Baltimore Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 108 / Clarksville Pike
Turn left onto MD 108 / Clarksville Pike
Navigation decision point
3
6.1 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
Old Baltimore Road
Turn left onto Old Baltimore Road
Navigation decision point
5
8.6 mi into trip
|
~15m in
Take the ramp toward MD 200 Toll West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Toward MD 200 Toll West
3
9 mi into trip
|
~16m in
|
MD 200 Toll / Intercounty Connector
Merge onto MD 200 Toll / Intercounty Connector
Merge point - match speed before joining
8
14.8 mi into trip
|
~23m 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
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Intercounty Connector | 5.3 mi | 6m |
| Ashton Road | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Olney Sandy Spring Road | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| South Frederick Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Clarksville Pike | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Old Baltimore Road | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Georgia Avenue | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| I 370 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Intercounty Connector
— 5.3 mi, about 6m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Highland, MD and Gaithersburg, MD.
1
Start on MD 216
70 ft
·
9 sec
·
Scaggsville Road
2
Turn left onto MD 108
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Clarksville Pike
3
Continue on MD 108
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Ashton Road
4
Continue on MD 108
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Olney Sandy Spring Road
5
Turn left onto Old Baltimore Road
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Baltimore Road
6
Turn left onto MD 97
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Georgia Avenue
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Toward MD 200 Toll West
Use the right lane.
8
Merge onto MD 200 Toll
5.3 mi
·
6 min
·
Intercounty Connector
9
Continue on I 370
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 370
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 2
Toward MD 355: Rockville, Gaithersburg
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn right onto MD 355
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Frederick Road
12
Continue on MD 355
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
South Frederick Avenue
13
Turn left
85 ft
·
6 sec
14
Arrive at destination
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.82 one way
$5.64 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.09 | $6.17 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.30 | $6.59 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.75 | $7.51 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.1 | 0 | $1.78 | $0.82 |
| Efficient EV | 4.3 | 0 | $1.49 | $0.68 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 kg (67% 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
10:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
92°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 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
16 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
27m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The drive from Highland, MD to Gaithersburg, MD covers 17 miles and takes about 27m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Intercounty Connector, Ashton Road, Olney Sandy Spring Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 8.5 miles from Highland, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $2.82 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 straightforward 27m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 108 / Clarksville Pike): Navigation decision point; at 6.1 miles (Old Baltimore Road): Navigation decision point; at 8.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here.
The route from Highland, MD to Gaithersburg, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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