Origin
Hillcrest Heights, MD
Afternoon in Hillcrest Heights on Friday
Local time
12:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Hillcrest Heights, MD to Saint Charles, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
29m
Distance
20 mi
32 km
Drive Score
5/10
Practical drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 27m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 35m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 31m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 28m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Hillcrest Heights, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Saint Charles, MD
RDNE Stock project
Trip Overview
The drive from Hillcrest Heights, MD to Saint Charles, MD covers 20 miles and takes about 29m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Branch Avenue, Crain Highway, Iverson Street for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 11.9 miles on Branch Avenue. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.32 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 29m. Total distance: 20 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
29m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 29m drive with frequent turns across 20 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 5 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Branch Avenue is the longest continuous segment at about 11.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. Navigation is very simple - set it and forget it for most of the drive. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Iverson Street.
Driving Effort
1/10
Very easy - short and simple to drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
The drive from Hillcrest Heights, MD to Saint Charles, MD is easy. At 29m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Iverson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (MD 5 / Branch Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles (US 301; MD 5 / Crain Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
Critical Maneuvers
3 of 3 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
|
Iverson Street
Turn right onto Iverson Street
Navigation decision point
4
0.8 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
MD 5 / Branch Avenue
Turn right onto MD 5 / Branch Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
3
12.7 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
US 301; MD 5 / Crain Highway
Merge onto US 301; MD 5 / Crain Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Branch Avenue | 11.9 mi | 16m |
| Crain Highway | 7.3 mi | 12m |
| Iverson Street | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| 23rd Parkway | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Branch Avenue
— 11.9 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Hillcrest Heights, MD and Saint Charles, MD.
1
Start on 23rd Parkway
103 ft
·
7 sec
·
23rd Parkway
2
Turn right onto Iverson Street
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Iverson Street
3
Turn right onto MD 5
12 mi
·
16 min
·
Branch Avenue
Use the right lane.
4
Merge onto US 301; MD 5
7.3 mi
·
12 min
·
Crain Highway
5
Arrive at destination
US 301
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.32 one way
$6.63 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
7 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.63 | $7.26 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.88 | $7.76 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.42 | $8.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 7 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 | 0 | $2.10 | $0.96 |
| Efficient EV | 5 | 0 | $1.75 | $0.80 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8 | 0 | $2.80 | $1.28 |
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
Saint Charles, MD
Afternoon in Saint Charles on Friday
Local time
12:56 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
3 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
29m 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 Hillcrest Heights, MD to Saint Charles, MD covers 20 miles and takes about 29m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Branch Avenue, Crain Highway, Iverson Street. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 10 miles from Hillcrest Heights, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $3.32 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.
The drive from Hillcrest Heights, MD to Saint Charles, MD is easy. At 29m with 0% highway, most drivers will find it relaxed and low-stress.
The main spots that need attention: near the start (Iverson Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.8 miles (MD 5 / Branch Avenue): Lane positioning matters here; at 12.7 miles (US 301; MD 5 / Crain Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining.
The route from Hillcrest Heights, MD to Saint Charles, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
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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