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Trip from Londontowne, MD to Columbia, MD

Last recalculated Apr 16, 2026

Drive Time

49m

Distance

34.8 mi

56 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 45m ★
6 AM
0h 49m
8 AM
0h 57m
10 AM
0h 52m
12 PM
0h 51m
3 PM
0h 52m
5 PM
0h 57m
8 PM
0h 47m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Downtown Londontowne, MD, MD

Londontowne, MD

Jonathan Borba

planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States

Columbia, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Londontowne, MD to Columbia, MD covers 34.8 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on I 97, Paul T. Pitcher Memorial Highway, Solomons Island Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 13 miles on I 97. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.77 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 34.8 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

49m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (37%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed drive route profile with national parks nearby.

Drive Character

The drive from Londontowne, MD to Columbia, MD covers 34.8 miles and takes about 49m, using a mix of highways and local roads.

Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 18 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 97 is the longest continuous segment at about 13 miles.

How Hard Is This Drive?

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.9 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 16 decision points packed into just 34.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Critical Maneuvers

5 of 16 key points

These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.

6
3.9 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward MD 665 West, US 301, I 97, US 50: Aris T Allen Boulevard

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward MD 665 West, US 301, I 97, US 50: Aris T...
8
19.4 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward MD 100: Ellicott City, Gibson Island

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 14A-B Toward MD 100: Ellicott City, Gibson Island
8
19.6 mi into trip | ~27m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 14B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
7
33.3 mi into trip | ~47m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 29 South: Washington

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward US 29 South: Washington
8
34.4 mi into trip | ~48m 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.

Between Londontowne, MD and Columbia, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore and Gibson Island.

Baltimore

4.8 mi in | ~9m

Gibson Island

19.4 mi in | ~27m

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 97 13 mi 14m
Paul T. Pitcher Memorial Highway 12.9 mi 17m
Solomons Island Road 2.6 mi 4m
Mayo Road 0.8 mi 2m
Aris T Allen Boulevard 0.6 mi <1m
Columbia Pike 0.5 mi <1m
Londontown Road 0.4 mi 1m
Tacoma Road <0.1 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 97 — 13 mi, about 14m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Londontowne, MD and Columbia, MD.

1

Start on Tacoma Road

236 ft · 17 sec · Tacoma Road
2

Turn left onto Londontown Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Londontown Road
3

Turn right onto MD 253

0.8 mi · 2 min · Mayo Road
4

Turn right onto MD 2

2.6 mi · 4 min · Solomons Island Road
Use the right lane.
5

Continue on MD 2

155 ft · 9 sec · Solomons Island Road
Use the left lane.
6

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 29 sec
Toward MD 665 West, US 301, I 97, US 50: Aris T Allen Boulevard
7

Merge onto MD 665

0.6 mi · 52 sec · Aris T Allen Boulevard
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight left at fork

1.0 mi · 1 min
Toward I 97, US 50 West, US 301 South: Washington, Baltimore
9

Keep slight right at fork

0.6 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 97 North: Baltimore
10

Continue on I 97

6.0 mi · 6 min · I 97
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 97

7.0 mi · 8 min · I 97
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 32 sec
Exit 14A-B Toward MD 100: Ellicott City, Gibson Island Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 14B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
14

Merge onto MD 100

13 mi · 17 min · Paul T. Pitcher Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 47 sec
Toward US 29 South: Washington Use 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 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Arrive at destination

Exit 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Halfway Point

Midpoint

About 17.4 mi from Londontowne, MD · 24m into the drive

town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, suburb of Washington, DC

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Kensington, MD

17 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

Ellicott City, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 34.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Glen Burnie, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.4 miles from Londontowne, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Columbia, MD

Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Columbia, 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

$5.77 one way

$11.54 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.32 $12.64
premium $4.93 $6.75 $13.50
diesel $5.61 $7.68 $15.37

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.4 0 $3.65 $1.67
Efficient EV 8.7 0 $3.04 $1.39
EV Truck/SUV 13.9 0 $4.87 $2.23

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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 15, 2026

Origin

Londontowne, MD

Afternoon in Londontowne on Thursday

Local time

2:38 PM

EDT

Current temp

53°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Columbia, MD

Afternoon in Columbia on Thursday

Local time

2:38 PM

EDT

Current temp

66°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

13 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

49m 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 Londontowne, MD to Columbia, MD covers 34.8 miles and takes about 49m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 97, Paul T. Pitcher Memorial Highway, Solomons Island Road. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.4 miles from Londontowne, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.77 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 short but busy drive. With 16 decision points packed into just 34.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
The main spots that need attention: at 3.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Londontowne, MD and Columbia, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore and Gibson Island.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

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