Trip from Olney, 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

45m

Distance

30 mi

48 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min

4 AM

0h 42m ★

6 AM

0h 45m

8 AM

0h 53m

10 AM

0h 48m

12 PM

0h 47m

3 PM

0h 48m

5 PM

0h 53m

8 PM

0h 43m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly

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Olney, MD

Wikimedia Commons

city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Bowie, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Olney, MD to Bowie, MD is 30 miles and takes about 45m via Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a drive that involves navigating local roads and transitions between them. It's a straightforward journey, ideal for a quick trip or adding onto another excursion in the area. You'll find it's a manageable drive with minimal planning needed.

Main Roads

Road	Distance	Duration
Capital Beltway	8.8 mi	11m
John Hanson Highway	5.7 mi	6m
New Hampshire Avenue	5.1 mi	9m
Intercounty Connector	4.4 mi	5m
Georgia Avenue	2.6 mi	5m
Collington Road	0.8 mi	1m
Evergreen Parkway	0.2 mi	<1m

Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 8.8 mi, about 11m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Olney, MD and Bowie, MD.

Start on 18000 Georgia Avenue, Olney MD

2.6 mi · 5 min · 18000 Georgia Avenue, Olney MD

Turn slight left

497 ft · 20 sec

Toward MD 200 Toll East

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec

Toward MD 200 Toll East

Merge onto MD 200 Toll

4.4 mi · 5 min · Intercounty Connector

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 31 sec

Exit 13 Toward MD 650: Ashton, White Oak Use the slight right lane.

Keep slight right at fork

361 ft · 8 sec

Toward MD 650 South: White Oak Use the left / right lanes.

Turn straight onto MD 650

5.1 mi · 9 min · New Hampshire Avenue

Use the left lane.

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 24 sec

Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, College Park Use the right lane.

Merge onto I 495

8.8 mi · 11 min · Capital Beltway

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min

Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Merge onto US 50

5.7 mi · 6 min · John Hanson Highway

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec

Exit 11 Toward MD 197: Bowie Use the slight right lane.

Keep slight right at fork

273 ft · 6 sec

Toward MD 197 Use the left / right lanes.

Turn straight onto MD 197

0.8 mi · 1 min · Collington Road

Use the left lane.

Turn right onto Evergreen Parkway

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Evergreen Parkway

Turn right

259 ft · 20 sec

Turn left

110 ft · 8 sec

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, Suburb of Washington DC

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Kemp Mill, MD

15 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

Crofton, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

College Park, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 15 miles from Olney, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 7.5 and 28.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7.5 mi into trip | ~11m in

Take the exit toward MD 650: Ashton, White Oak

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 13 Toward MD 650: Ashton, White Oak

7.7 mi into trip | ~12m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 650 South: White Oak

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes. Toward MD 650 South: White Oak

21.8 mi into trip | ~33m in

Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis

28.5 mi into trip | ~41m in

Take the exit toward MD 197: Bowie

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Exit 11 Toward MD 197: Bowie

28.9 mi into trip | ~42m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 197

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes. Toward MD 197

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.97 one way

$9.95 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 11 kg CO₂

Fuel Type	$/gal	One Way	Round Trip
midgrade	$4.61	$5.45	$10.89
premium	$4.93	$5.82	$11.64
diesel	$5.61	$6.62	$13.25

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO₂

Vehicle Type	kWh	DC Fast	Home Charge
Average EV	9	$3.15	$1.44
Efficient EV	7.5	$2.63	$1.20
EV Truck/SUV	12	$4.20	$1.92

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (60% 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 18, 2026

Origin

Olney, MD

Afternoon in Olney on Saturday

Local time

1:30 PM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bowie, MD

Afternoon in Bowie on Saturday

Local time

1:30 PM

EDT

Current temp

79°F

Sunny

SE 5 to 13 mph 2% chance 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

6 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

45m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This route is characterized as a 'Turn-heavy local drive,' with only a 100% highway share, meaning you'll be on main roads for the entirety of the 30 miles. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 8.8 miles on the Capital Beltway. While primarily a highway experience, the 'turn-heavy' profile suggests you'll be making several directional changes and potentially navigating busy interchanges. Be prepared for a dynamic drive rather than a simple point-A-to-point-B cruise.

Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.

18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.

Longest single stretch: 8.8 mi on Capital Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 7.5 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 15 decision points packed into just 30 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 7.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 21.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Olney, MD and Bowie, MD, road signs point toward White Oak and College Park.

White Oak

7.5 mi in | ~11m

College Park

12.9 mi in | ~21m

About the Cities

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 45m. Total distance: 30 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.8 miles on Capital Beltway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Bowie, MD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.

Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bowie, MD before heading back.

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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Return Trip

Bowie, MD to Olney, MD

Plan the drive back the other way.

28.7 mi 45m

Explore more options from Olney, MD or browse trips ending in Bowie, MD.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.

Trip from Olney, MD to Bowie, MD

Best Time to Leave

Trip Overview

Main Roads

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Where to Stop

Pacing Suggestions

Heads-up: tricky spots

Fuel & Cost

Travel Intel

Olney, MD

Bowie, MD

Same local time

6 degrees warmer at arrival

45m on the road

What kind of drive is this?

How Hard Is This Drive?

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

About the Cities

Arriving in Bowie, MD

Who Is This Route For?

Frequently Asked Questions

Which road carries most of the drive?

Should I avoid arriving after dark?

Is this a good trip with kids?

Where does this route get tricky?

Are there national parks near this route?

Can I do this as a round trip in one go?

How this page is built

Explore More

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