Origin
South Bel Air, MD
Night in South Bel Air on Thursday
Local time
11:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
48°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from South Bel Air, MD to Riva, MD
Last recalculated Apr 17, 2026
Drive Time
1h 13m
Distance
53.9 mi
87 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$9
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 8m
★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 25m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 18m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 10m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
South Bel Air, MD
Da Khatri
Riva, MD
Jonathan Borba
Trip Overview
The drive from South Bel Air, MD to Riva, MD covers 53.9 miles and takes about 1h 13m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 97, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Express Toll Lanes for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed drive. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 16.7 miles on I 97. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.94 one way before food or hotel costs.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 13m. Total distance: 53.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 13m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (31%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed drive route profile.
Drive Character
The drive from South Bel Air, MD to Riva, MD covers 53.9 miles and takes about 1h 13m, using a mix of highways and local roads.
Expect a mix of faster highway mileage and slower local approaches near the beginning or end.
There are about 25 navigation steps in the underlying route data, so the final approach matters more than the middle miles.
I 97 is the longest continuous segment at about 16.7 miles.
How Hard Is This Drive?
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5.8 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 53.9 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 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.1 miles (Harbor Tunnel Throughway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Critical Maneuvers
5 of 16 key pointsThese are the spots where you need to pay the most attention. Preview them before you drive.
6
5.8 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South: Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 95 South: Baltimore
6
14.6 mi into trip
|
~21m 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.
9
30.1 mi into trip
|
~42m in
|
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Keep slight right at fork onto Harbor Tunnel Throughway toward Annapolis, Glen Burnie
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6
Toward Annapolis, Glen Burnie
7
31.8 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 97 South: Annapolis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis
7
51.1 mi into trip
|
~1h 7m in
Take the exit toward Riva Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Riva Road
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between South Bel Air, MD and Riva, MD, road signs point toward Annapolis and Glen Burnie.
Annapolis
30.1 mi in
|
~42m
|
via Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Glen Burnie
30.1 mi in
|
~42m
|
via Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 97 | 16.7 mi | 19m |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 8.1 mi | 9m |
| Express Toll Lanes | 7.7 mi | 9m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 6 mi | 8m |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway | 3.9 mi | 5m |
| Riva Road | 2.6 mi | 5m |
| Harbor Tunnel Throughway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 97
— 16.7 mi, about 19m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between South Bel Air, MD and Riva, MD.
1
Start on South Shamrock Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
South Shamrock Road
2
At end of road, turn right onto East MacPhail Road
0.3 mi
·
44 sec
·
East MacPhail Road
3
Turn left onto MD 924
496 ft
·
14 sec
·
South Main Street
4
Continue on MD 924
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Emmorton Road
5
Turn right onto West Ring Factory Road
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
West Ring Factory Road
6
Turn left onto MD 24
3.9 mi
·
5 min
·
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the left lane.
7
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 South: Baltimore
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto I 95
8.1 mi
·
9 min
·
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
11
Merge onto I 895
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
12
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
13
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 895
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
15
Keep slight right at fork onto Harbor Tunnel Throughway
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Exit 6
Toward Annapolis, Glen Burnie
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight right at fork
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Continue on I 97
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
I 97
Use the straight lane.
18
Keep slight left at fork onto I 97
7.8 mi
·
8 min
·
I 97
Toward Bay Bridge
19
Keep slight left at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 50 East, US 301 North: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
20
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
49 sec
Exit 22
Toward MD 665: Riva Road
21
Continue on MD 665
0.2 mi
·
17 sec
·
Aris T Allen Boulevard
22
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward Riva Road
Use the slight right lane.
23
Turn right onto Riva Road
2.6 mi
·
5 min
·
Riva Road
24
Turn left onto Tudor Hall Road
116 ft
·
5 sec
·
Tudor Hall Road
25
Arrive at destination
Tudor Hall Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Halfway Point
Midpoint
About 26.9 mi from South Bel Air, 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 26.9 miles from South Bel Air, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
Arriving in Riva, MD
The final approach into Riva, 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
$8.94 one way
$17.87 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
19 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.79 | $19.57 |
| premium | $4.93 | $10.45 | $20.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.90 | $23.80 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.42
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(6 mi)
$0.42
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$9
Tolls
$0
Total
$9
Estimated CO2 emission: 18.9 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 | 16.2 | 0 | $5.66 | $2.59 |
| Efficient EV | 13.5 | 0 | $4.72 | $2.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 21.6 | 0 | $7.55 | $3.45 |
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
Riva, MD
Night in Riva on Thursday
Local time
11:22 PM
EDT
Current temp
50°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
1h 13m 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 South Bel Air, MD to Riva, MD covers 53.9 miles and takes about 1h 13m without stops. Add 15-30 minutes for a fuel or rest stop on longer drives.
The main roads are I 97, 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 26.9 miles from South Bel Air, MD. Look for rest areas, gas stations, or food options near the halfway mark.
At current regular gas prices, expect to spend about $8.94 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 53.9 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 5.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 14.6 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 30.1 miles (Harbor Tunnel Throughway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Between South Bel Air, MD and Riva, MD, road signs point toward Annapolis and Glen Burnie.
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