Origin
University Park, MD
Afternoon in University Park on Saturday
Local time
3:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from University Park, MD to Gaithersburg, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the Trip.ovh planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 18, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
22.9 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
7 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 36m
★
6 AM
0h 39m
8 AM
0h 45m
10 AM
0h 41m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 45m
8 PM
0h 37m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
University Park, MD
DΛVΞ GΛRCIΛ
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Trip Overview
The drive from University Park, MD to Gaithersburg, MD covers 22.9 miles and takes about 38m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Intercounty Connector, New Hampshire Avenue, Adelphi Road for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 10.4 miles on Intercounty Connector. At current regular gas prices, budget about $3.80 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Intercounty Connector | 10.4 mi | 13m |
| New Hampshire Avenue | 5.7 mi | 10m |
| Adelphi Road | 2.8 mi | 5m |
| South Frederick Avenue | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| I 370 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Van Buren Street | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Wells Parkway | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Frederick Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Intercounty Connector
— 10.4 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between University Park, MD and Gaithersburg, MD.
1
Start on Queens Chapel Road
279 ft
·
18 sec
·
Queens Chapel Road
2
Turn left onto Van Buren Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Van Buren Street
3
Turn right onto Wells Parkway East
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Wells Parkway East
4
Continue on Wells Parkway
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Wells Parkway
5
Turn right onto Adelphi Road
2.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Adelphi Road
Use the right lane.
6
Turn right onto MD 650
5.7 mi
·
10 min
·
New Hampshire Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
45 sec
8
Merge onto MD 200 Toll
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Intercounty Connector
9
Continue on MD 200 Toll
6.2 mi
·
7 min
·
Intercounty Connector
Exit 8A
10
Continue on I 370
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
I 370
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
Exit 2
Toward MD 355: Rockville, Gaithersburg
Use the slight right lane.
12
Turn right onto MD 355
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Frederick Road
13
Continue on MD 355
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
South Frederick Avenue
14
Turn left
85 ft
·
6 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 20.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Van Buren Street
Turn left onto Van Buren Street
Navigation decision point
3
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Wells Parkway East
Turn right onto Wells Parkway East
Navigation decision point
5
1 mi into trip
|
~3m in
|
Adelphi Road
Turn right onto Adelphi Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
5
3.8 mi into trip
|
~9m in
|
MD 650 / New Hampshire Avenue
Turn right onto MD 650 / New Hampshire Avenue
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
20.8 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward MD 355: Rockville, Gaithersburg
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 2
Toward MD 355: Rockville, Gaithersburg
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.80 one way
$7.59 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.16 | $8.32 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.44 | $8.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.06 | $10.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.40 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Gaithersburg, MD
Afternoon in Gaithersburg on Saturday
Local time
3:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
89°F
Mostly Sunny
SW 12 mph
12% 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
11 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
38m 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?
22.9 mi in 38m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 5% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.4 mi on Intercounty Connector.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Van Buren Street.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 38m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Van Buren Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Wells Parkway East): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Adelphi Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 22.9 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
38m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (5%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.4 miles on Intercounty Connector. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Van Buren Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.5 miles (Wells Parkway East): Navigation decision point; at 1 miles (Adelphi Road): Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield. 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 Gaithersburg, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Gaithersburg, MD
More trips to Gaithersburg, MD
Explore more options from University Park, MD or browse trips ending in Gaithersburg, MD.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.