Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 17, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
38 mi
61 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Rockville, MD
Jonathan Borba
Friendly, MD
Iqbal farooz
The drive from Rockville, MD to Friendly, MD covers 38 miles and takes about 53m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Capital Beltway (Local), Indian Head Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 22.6 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $6.30 one way before food or hotel costs.
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 53m. Total distance: 38 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m 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.
Expect a 53m drive with frequent turns across 38 miles of local and secondary roads.
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 3.9 miles in near I 270 Spur.
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 12 decision points packed into just 38 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 3.9 miles (I 270 Spur): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.3 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 28.6 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local)): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
These are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 Spur toward I 270 Spur: Washington, Northern Virginia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 South: Northern Virginia
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway (Local) toward I 95, I 495: Alexandria
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward MD 210 South: Indian Head
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 210 South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Rockville, MD to Friendly, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Northern Virginia along the way.
Northern Virginia
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 22.6 mi | 28m |
| Capital Beltway (Local) | 4.3 mi | 5m |
| Indian Head Highway | 2.7 mi | 4m |
| I 270 | 2.6 mi | 3m |
| I 270 Spur | 2 mi | 2m |
| Old Fort Road | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Great Falls Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| West Montgomery Avenue | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Rockville, MD and Friendly, MD.
Start on South Washington Street
Turn left onto West Montgomery Avenue
Continue on Great Falls Road
Turn right onto MD 189
Continue on MD 189
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 270
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 Spur
Merge onto I 495
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
Keep slight right at fork onto I 495
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95; I 495
Take the exit
Continue on this road
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto MD 210
Turn left onto Old Fort Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 19 mi from Rockville, MD · 26m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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.
A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 19 miles from Rockville, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Friendly, 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.
Regular Gas
$6.30 one way
$12.60 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.90 | $13.80 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.37 | $14.74 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.39 | $16.78 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.99 | $1.82 |
| Efficient EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.32 | $1.52 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.32 | $2.43 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Morning in Rockville on Friday
Local time
8:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
67°F
Isolated Rain Showers
Destination
Morning in Friendly on Friday
Local time
8:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Compiled and maintained by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy (Helsinki). Each route is built from authoritative open government and mapping datasets rather than crowdsourced reviews. Distances and geometry come from OSRM over OpenStreetMap. Fuel cost uses EIA weekly regional averages. National park proximity is from the NPS API. Pages are published only after passing our data-quality checks; our methodology page documents refresh cadence, editorial standards, and known limitations.
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