Origin
Saint Charles, MD
Morning in Saint Charles on Saturday
Local time
6:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Saint Charles, MD to Beltsville, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
52m
Distance
35.8 mi
58 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 48m
★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 55m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Saint Charles, MD
RDNE Stock project
Beltsville, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Saint Charles, MD to Beltsville, MD covers 35.8 miles and takes about 52m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, Branch Avenue, Crain Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is turn-heavy local drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 14.9 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.76 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 35.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
52m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Turn-heavy local drive route profile with national parks nearby.
Drive Character
Expect a 52m drive with frequent turns across 35.8 miles of local and secondary roads.
This route has more turning and local-road decision points than a simple highway run.
There are about 11 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 14.9 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 6 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 8.4 miles in near MD 5 / Branch Avenue.
Driving Effort
5/10
Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 35.8 miles you will encounter 6 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 8.4 miles (MD 5 / Branch Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.7 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 6 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
7
8.4 mi into trip
|
~13m in
|
MD 5 / Branch Avenue
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 5 / Branch Avenue toward MD 5 North: Washington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MD 5 North: Washington
7
17.3 mi into trip
|
~25m in
Take the exit toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Coll...
5
17.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
|
I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge onto I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
32.7 mi into trip
|
~46m in
Take the exit toward MD 201: Bladensburg, Greenbelt
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 23
Toward MD 201: Bladensburg, Greenbelt
6
33.2 mi into trip
|
~47m in
|
MD 201 / Kenilworth Avenue
Turn right onto MD 201 / Kenilworth Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Saint Charles, MD and Beltsville, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Greenbelt.
College Park
17.3 mi in
|
~25m
Greenbelt
32.7 mi in
|
~46m
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 14.9 mi | 20m |
| Branch Avenue | 9 mi | 11m |
| Crain Highway | 8.4 mi | 13m |
| Edmonston Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Kenilworth Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Powder Mill Road | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 14.9 mi, about 20m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Saint Charles, MD and Beltsville, MD.
1
Start on US 301
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
·
Crain Highway
2
Continue on US 301
8.0 mi
·
13 min
·
Crain Highway
Use the straight lane.
3
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 5
9.0 mi
·
11 min
·
Branch Avenue
Toward MD 5 North: Washington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
53 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
Use the slight right lane.
5
Merge onto I 95; I 495
15 mi
·
20 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 23
Toward MD 201: Bladensburg, Greenbelt
Use the slight right lane.
7
Turn right onto MD 201
0.5 mi
·
54 sec
·
Kenilworth Avenue
Use the right lane.
8
Continue on MD 201
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
Edmonston Road
9
Turn left onto MD 212A
0.5 mi
·
46 sec
·
Powder Mill Road
Use the left lane.
10
Continue on MD 212A
13 ft
·
0 sec
·
Powder Mill Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Arrive at destination
MD 212A
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 17.9 mi from Saint Charles, MD · 26m into the drive
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 35.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.9 miles from Saint Charles, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Beltsville, MD
Allow a few extra minutes for the final approach into Beltsville, 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
$5.76 one way
$11.52 round trip
$4.09/gal
25.4 MPG avg
13 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.60 | $6.48 | $12.96 |
| premium | $4.95 | $6.98 | $13.96 |
| diesel | $5.98 | $8.43 | $16.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.5 kg one way.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.7 | 0 | $3.76 | $1.72 |
| Efficient EV | 9 | 0 | $3.13 | $1.43 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.3 | 0 | $5.01 | $2.29 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Beltsville, MD
Morning in Beltsville on Saturday
Local time
6:14 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°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
2 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
52m 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 Saint Charles, MD to Beltsville, MD covers 35.8 miles and takes about 52m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are Capital Beltway, Branch Avenue, Crain Highway. Expect a mix of highway and local road driving.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
The midpoint is about 17.9 miles from Saint Charles, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $5.76 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 35.8 miles you will encounter 6 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 8.4 miles (MD 5 / Branch Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 17.7 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Between Saint Charles, MD and Beltsville, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Greenbelt.
Yes. Nearby national parks include Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.
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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Beltsville, MD
More from Saint Charles, MD
More trips to Beltsville, MD
Explore more options from Saint Charles, MD or browse trips ending in Beltsville, MD.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.