Origin
La Plata, MD
Morning in La Plata on Saturday
Local time
11:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from La Plata, MD to Bowie, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
35.9 mi
58 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 55m
8 AM
1h 4m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 59m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
La Plata, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from La Plata, MD to Bowie, MD covers 35.9 miles and takes about 54m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Crain Highway, South East Crain Highway, Collington Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 27 miles on Crain Highway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.95 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Starting in La Plata, MD
Full guide →La Plata is a city in Southern Maryland. It is the county seat of Charles County.
Arriving in Bowie, MD
Full guide →Bowie is a suburban bedroom community of Washington, D.C. in Prince George's County, Maryland.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 35.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m 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 54m drive with frequent turns across 35.9 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 12 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Crain Highway is the longest continuous segment at about 27 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 9 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Kent Avenue.
Driving Effort
6/10
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 35.9 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Kent Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (US 301 / Crain Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles (US 301 / Crain Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 9 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
|
Kent Avenue
Turn left onto Kent Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
US 301 / Crain Highway
Turn right onto US 301 / Crain Highway
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
4
14.4 mi into trip
|
~23m in
|
US 301 / Crain Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto US 301 / Crain Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
6
34.7 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Take the exit toward MD 197 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward MD 197 North
5
35.8 mi into trip
|
~54m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Crain Highway | 27 mi | 40m |
| South East Crain Highway | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Collington Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Charles Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Evergreen Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Kent Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Crain Highway
— 27 mi, about 40m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between La Plata, MD and Bowie, MD.
1
Start on this road
9 ft
·
4 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto Kent Avenue
55 ft
·
3 sec
·
Kent Avenue
3
Turn right onto MD 6
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Charles Street
4
Turn right onto US 301
14 mi
·
22 min
·
Crain Highway
Use the right lane.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto US 301
13 mi
·
18 min
·
Crain Highway
6
Continue on US 301
7.4 mi
·
10 min
·
South East Crain Highway
Use the straight lane.
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward MD 197 North
Use the slight left lane.
8
Turn straight onto MD 197
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Collington Road
Use the left lane.
9
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Evergreen Parkway
10
Turn right
259 ft
·
20 sec
11
Turn left
110 ft
·
8 sec
12
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.9 mi from La Plata, MD · 28m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35.9 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.9 miles from La Plata, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Bowie, MD
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Bowie, MD if you are unfamiliar with the area.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.95 one way
$11.90 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.52 | $13.04 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.96 | $13.92 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.93 | $15.85 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.77 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.14 | $1.44 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.03 | $2.30 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Bowie, MD
Morning in Bowie on Saturday
Local time
11:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
68°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
10 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
54m 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 La Plata, MD to Bowie, MD covers 35.9 miles and takes about 54m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Crain Highway, South East Crain Highway, Collington Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.9 miles from La Plata, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.95 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 35.9 miles you will encounter 9 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 (Kent Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (US 301 / Crain Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 14.4 miles (US 301 / Crain Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully.
The route from La Plata, MD to Bowie, 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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