The drive from Leonardtown, MD to Columbia, MD covers 86.5 miles and takes about 1h 59m behind the wheel.
This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, I 95, Point Lookout Road for much of the mileage,
and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive.
The longest uninterrupted segment is about 18.3 miles on Capital Beltway.
At current regular gas prices, budget about $14.34 one way before food or hotel costs.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
43.3 miles from Leonardtown, MD
A natural place for your longest stop of the day
, about 1h 3m into the drive
.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 59m. Total distance: 86.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 59m drive, comfortable solo distance.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 1h 59m drive with frequent turns across 86.5 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Capital Beltway is the longest continuous segment at about 18.3 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 35.5 miles in near MD 5 / Branch Avenue.
Driving Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 86.5 miles you will encounter 14 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: at 35.5 miles (MD 5 / Branch Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 63.2 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key points
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
35.5 mi into trip|~53m in|MD 5 / Branch Avenue
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 5 / Branch Avenue toward MD 5 North: Washington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MD 5 North: Washington
7
44.4 mi into trip|~1h 4m in
Take the exit toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Coll...
7
63.2 mi into trip|~1h 30m in|I 95
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95 toward I-95 North: Baltimore
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I-95 North: Baltimore
7
79.5 mi into trip|~1h 49m in
Take the exit toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 43B
Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
8
86.1 mi into trip|~1h 58m in
Take the exit toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Searc...
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 Leonardtown, MD to Columbia, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
College Park
44.4 mi in|~1h 4m
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Capital Beltway
18.3 mi
24m
I 95
16.3 mi
19m
Point Lookout Road
11.7 mi
18m
Leonardtown Road
10.6 mi
14m
Branch Avenue
9 mi
11m
Three Notch Road
6.9 mi
9m
MD 100
5.2 mi
7m
Mattawoman Beantown Road
3.3 mi
5m
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 18.3 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Leonardtown, MD and Columbia, MD.
1
Start on MD 5 Business
45 ft·6 sec·Fenwick Street
2
Turn left onto MD 5 Business
0.4 mi·49 sec·Washington Street
3
Turn left onto MD 5
12 mi·18 min·Point Lookout Road
4
Take the ramp onto MD 5
414 ft·11 sec·MD 5
5
Merge onto MD 235
6.9 mi·9 min·Three Notch Road
6
Continue on MD 5
11 mi·14 min·Leonardtown Road
Use the straight lane.
7
Turn right onto MD 5
3.3 mi·5 min·Mattawoman Beantown Road
8
Merge onto US 301; MD 5
2.5 mi·3 min·Crain Highway
Use the left lane.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 5
9.0 mi·11 min·Branch Avenue
Toward MD 5 North: WashingtonUse the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi·53 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College ParkUse the slight right lane.
11
Merge onto I 95; I 495
18 mi·24 min·Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95
16 mi·19 min·I 95
Toward I-95 North: BaltimoreUse the straight / slight left lanes.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi·46 sec
Exit 43BToward MD 100 West: Ellicott CityUse the slight right lane.
14
Merge onto MD 100
5.2 mi·7 min·MD 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi·47 sec
Toward US 29 South: WashingtonUse the slight left lane.
16
Merge onto US 29
0.5 mi·30 sec·Columbia Pike
17
Take the exit
0.4 mi·50 sec
Exit 21BToward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's ChoiceUse the straight / slight right lanes.
Place data sourced from public business listings. Hours and availability may vary.
National Parks Near This Route
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Preserving America's early transportation history, the C&O Canal began as a dream of passage to Western wealth. Operating for nearly 100 years the canal was a lifeline for communities along the Potoma...
17 mi from route
~43 min detour
$20
near mile 62.6
Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park
National Historical Park
Harriet Tubman was a deeply spiritual woman who lived her ideals and dedicated her life to freedom. She is the Underground Railroad’s best known conductor and before the Civil War repeatedly risked he...
Station data from NREL Alternative Fuel Stations database.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging
· 0 stops
· 67% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
26
0
$9.08
$4.15
Efficient EV
21.6
0
$7.57
$3.46
EV Truck/SUV
34.6
0
$12.11
$5.54
Gas CO2
30 kg
EV CO2
10 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.
Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026
Origin
Leonardtown, MD
Morning
in Leonardtown on Friday
Local time
10:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Destination
Columbia, MD
Morning
in Columbia on Friday
Local time
10:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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
2 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
1h 59m 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 Leonardtown, MD to Columbia, MD covers 86.5 miles and takes about 1h 59m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, I 95, Point Lookout Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 43.3 miles from Leonardtown, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $14.34 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 86.5 miles you will encounter 14 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: at 35.5 miles (MD 5 / Branch Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 44.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 63.2 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
On the drive from Leonardtown, MD to Columbia, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
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, NREL for EV charging, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
