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Trip from Perryman, MD to Columbia, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 3m

Distance

47.9 mi

77 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 59m ★
6 AM
1h 4m
8 AM
1h 14m
10 AM
1h 8m
12 PM
1h 7m
3 PM
1h 8m
5 PM
1h 14m
8 PM
1h 1m

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

Downtown Perryman, MD, MD

Perryman, MD

RDNE Stock project

planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States

Columbia, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Perryman, MD to Columbia, MD covers 47.9 miles and takes about 1h 3m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Harbor Tunnel Thruway, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Express Toll Lanes for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 12 miles on Harbor Tunnel Thruway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $7.94 one way before food or hotel costs.

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 3m. Total distance: 47.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 3m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Turn-heavy local drive route profile.

Drive Character

Expect a 1h 3m drive with frequent turns across 47.9 miles of local and secondary roads.

This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 24 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
Harbor Tunnel Thruway is the longest continuous segment at about 12 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 4.4 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 47.9 miles you will encounter 16 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 4.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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
4.4 mi into trip | ~8m in

Turn left toward I 95 South: Baltimore

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 95 South: Baltimore
6
16.7 mi into trip | ~22m in | Express Toll Lanes

Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane.
7
40.9 mi into trip | ~54m in

Take the exit toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 43B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
7
46.4 mi into trip | ~1h 1m 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
47.5 mi into trip | ~1h 3m 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...

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Harbor Tunnel Thruway 12 mi 15m
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway 11.9 mi 13m
Express Toll Lanes 7.7 mi 9m
MD 100 4.8 mi 6m
I 95 2.2 mi 2m
Riverside Parkway 1.8 mi 3m
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel 1.4 mi 2m
Harbor Tunnel Throughway 1 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Harbor Tunnel Thruway — 12 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on MD 159

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Perryman Road
2

Continue on MD 159

171 ft · 11 sec · Perryman Road
3

Continue on MD 159

0.1 mi · 18 sec · Perryman Road
Use the left lane.
4

Turn left onto Spesutia Road

0.8 mi · 1 min · Spesutia Road
Use the left lane.
5

Turn left onto US 40

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Philadelphia Boulevard
6

Continue on US 40

1.0 mi · 1 min · Pulaski Highway
7

Turn left onto MD 543

1.8 mi · 3 min · Riverside Parkway
8

Turn left

0.4 mi · 57 sec
Toward I 95 South: Baltimore Use the left lane.
9

Merge onto I 95

12 mi · 13 min · John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes

6.5 mi · 7 min · Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes

1.2 mi · 1 min · Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
12

Merge onto I 895

3.8 mi · 5 min · Harbor Tunnel Thruway
13

Continue on I 895

1.4 mi · 2 min · Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
14

Continue on I 895

2.2 mi · 3 min · Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Continue on I 895

0.5 mi · 39 sec · Harbor Tunnel Throughway
16

Keep slight left at fork onto I 895

0.5 mi · 41 sec · Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Continue on I 895

6.0 mi · 7 min · Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / right lanes.
18

Merge onto I 95

2.2 mi · 2 min · I 95
19

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 55 sec
Exit 43B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Merge onto MD 100

4.8 mi · 6 min · MD 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 47 sec
Toward US 29 South: Washington Use the slight left lane.
22

Merge onto US 29

0.5 mi · 30 sec · Columbia Pike
23

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.
24

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 23.9 mi from Perryman, MD · 31m into the drive

census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Parkville, MD

24 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.

Popular next leg

Parkville, MD to Columbia, MD

28 mi · 39m

Pacing Suggestions

Bel Air, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Parkville, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 23.9 miles from Perryman, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.

Arriving in Columbia, MD

The final approach into Columbia, 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

$7.94 one way

$15.88 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.70 $17.39
premium $4.93 $9.29 $18.58
diesel $5.61 $10.58 $21.15

Estimated Tolls: $0.84

Harbor Tunnel Thruway (12 mi) $0.84

Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Tolls

$1

Total

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 16.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.4 0 $5.03 $2.30
Efficient EV 12 0 $4.19 $1.92
EV Truck/SUV 19.2 0 $6.71 $3.07

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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

Perryman, MD

Evening in Perryman on Friday

Local time

5:23 PM

EDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Columbia, MD

Evening in Columbia on Friday

Local time

5:23 PM

EDT

Current temp

75°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

4 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 3m 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 Perryman, MD to Columbia, MD covers 47.9 miles and takes about 1h 3m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.

The main roads are Harbor Tunnel Thruway, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Express Toll Lanes. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.

This is a comfortable same-day trip.

The midpoint is about 23.9 miles from Perryman, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.

At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $7.94 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 47.9 miles you will encounter 16 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 4.4 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 16.7 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 40.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

The route from Perryman, MD to Columbia, MD does not surface many named destination signs beyond the main corridor.

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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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