Origin
North Bethesda, MD
Morning in North Bethesda on Saturday
Local time
10:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Bethesda, MD to La Plata, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 19m
Distance
53.2 mi
86 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 13m
★
6 AM
1h 19m
8 AM
1h 31m
10 AM
1h 23m
12 PM
1h 22m
3 PM
1h 24m
5 PM
1h 31m
8 PM
1h 15m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Bethesda, MD
Kelly
La Plata, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from North Bethesda, MD to La Plata, MD covers 53.2 miles and takes about 1h 19m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Crain Highway, Branch Avenue for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 25.5 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.82 one way before food or hotel costs.
About the Cities
Arriving in La Plata, MD
Full guide →La Plata is a city in Southern Maryland. It is the county seat of Charles County.
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 1h 19m. Total distance: 53.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 19m 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 1h 19m drive with frequent turns across 53.2 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 17 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 25.5 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 early in the drive near Tudor Lane.
Driving Effort
7/10
Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.2 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: near the start (Tudor Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 14 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Tudor Lane
At end of road, turn left onto Tudor Lane
Navigation decision point
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
MD 355 / Rockville Pike
Turn right onto MD 355 / Rockville Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
8
28.1 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward MD 337: Andrews Air Force Base Main Gate, Morningside
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 9
Toward MD 337: Andrews Air Force Base Main Gate...
6
28.4 mi into trip
|
~40m in
|
MD 337 / Forestville Road
Turn right onto MD 337 / Forestville Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
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 North Bethesda, MD to La Plata, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Morningside along the way.
Morningside
28.1 mi in
|
~39m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 25.5 mi | 33m |
| Crain Highway | 13.6 mi | 21m |
| Branch Avenue | 8.1 mi | 10m |
| MD 337 | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Rockville Pike | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Charles Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Nicholson Lane | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Tudor Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 25.5 mi, about 33m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Bethesda, MD and La Plata, MD.
1
Start on Tudor Lane
146 ft
·
8 sec
·
Tudor Lane
2
At end of road, turn left onto Tudor Lane
338 ft
·
20 sec
·
Tudor Lane
3
Turn left onto Commonwealth Drive
347 ft
·
17 sec
·
Commonwealth Drive
4
Turn right onto Nicholson Lane
0.3 mi
·
58 sec
·
Nicholson Lane
5
Turn right onto MD 355
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Rockville Pike
Use the right lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Merge onto I 495
26 mi
·
33 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 9
Toward MD 337: Andrews Air Force Base Main Gate, Morningside
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Turn right onto MD 337
426 ft
·
12 sec
·
Forestville Road
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
10
Turn slight right onto MD 337
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
MD 337
Toward MD 337 South
11
Turn left
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
Toward MD 5 South: Waldorf
12
Merge onto MD 5
8.1 mi
·
10 min
·
Branch Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Merge onto US 301; MD 5
14 mi
·
21 min
·
Crain Highway
14
Turn left onto MD 6
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Charles Street
15
Turn left onto Kent Avenue
55 ft
·
3 sec
·
Kent Avenue
16
Turn right
9 ft
·
0 sec
17
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.6 mi from North Bethesda, MD · 37m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
27 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 26.6 miles from North Bethesda, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in La Plata, MD
The final approach into La Plata, MD usually feels slower than the middle of the drive, so avoid planning your tightest schedule at the very end.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.82 one way
$17.64 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.66 | $19.32 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.32 | $20.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.75 | $23.49 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16 | 0 | $5.59 | $2.55 |
| Efficient EV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.66 | $2.13 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.3 | 0 | $7.45 | $3.40 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
La Plata, MD
Morning in La Plata on Saturday
Local time
10:05 AM
EDT
Current temp
78°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
1 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 19m 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 North Bethesda, MD to La Plata, MD covers 53.2 miles and takes about 1h 19m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Crain Highway, Branch Avenue. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 26.6 miles from North Bethesda, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.82 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 drive requires moderate attention. Across 53.2 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: near the start (Tudor Lane): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
On the drive from North Bethesda, MD to La Plata, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Morningside along the way.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield.
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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