Origin
Aberdeen, MD
Late night in Aberdeen on Tuesday
Local time
5:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Aberdeen, MD to Essex, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
38m
Distance
27.8 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 40m
3 PM
0h 41m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Aberdeen, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
If you are planning a quick trip from Aberdeen to Essex, Maryland, expect a straightforward 28.4-mile journey. You should anticipate a drive time of approximately 32 minutes, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stay. Navigating this route involves a mix of Beards Hill Road, the Aberdeen Thruway, and I-95 South, keeping you entirely within the Northeast region of the state. With a modest fuel budget of about $5, it is a highly economical way to travel between these two points. Because the trip is so short, you have plenty of flexibility to plan your departure around your own schedule.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 19.2 mi | 22m |
| West Bel Air Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Southeast Freeway | 1.3 mi | 1m |
| Baltimore Beltway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Eastern Boulevard | 0.9 mi | 2m |
| Aberdeen Thruway | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Beards Hill Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| North Woodward Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
— 19.2 mi, about 22m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Aberdeen, MD and Essex, MD.
1
Start on MD 132
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
West Bel Air Avenue
2
Turn right onto Beards Hill Road
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Beards Hill Road
3
Turn left onto MD 22
0.5 mi
·
42 sec
·
Aberdeen Thruway
Use the left lane.
4
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Toward I 95 South: Baltimore
5
Merge onto I 95
16 mi
·
18 min
·
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95
3.2 mi
·
3 min
·
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
37 sec
Exit 64
Toward I 695: Essex, Towson
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork
1.2 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 695 East: Essex
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 695
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Baltimore Beltway
10
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 702
1.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Southeast Freeway
Exit 36
Toward MD 702 South: Essex
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Toward MD 150 West: Essex
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Turn straight onto MD 150
0.9 mi
·
2 min
·
Eastern Boulevard
13
Turn right onto North Woodward Drive
187 ft
·
13 sec
·
North Woodward Drive
14
Turn left
327 ft
·
23 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 19.1 and 26.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
19.1 mi into trip
|
~24m in
|
I 95 / John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Keep slight right at fork onto I 95 / John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
22.3 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward I 695: Essex, Towson
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 64
Toward I 695: Essex, Towson
7
22.8 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 695 East: Essex
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward I 695 East: Essex
8
25.1 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
MD 702 / Southeast Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 702 / Southeast Freeway toward MD 702 South: Essex
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Exit 36
Toward MD 702 South: Essex
6
26.4 mi into trip
|
~34m in
Take the exit toward MD 150 West: Essex
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward MD 150 West: Essex
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.61 one way
$9.22 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.05 | $10.10 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.39 | $10.78 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.14 | $12.28 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.92 | $1.33 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.43 | $1.11 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.1 | 0 | $3.89 | $1.78 |
Gas CO2
10 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (70% 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
Essex, MD
Late night in Essex on Tuesday
Local time
5:35 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°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 cooler 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
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.
What kind of drive is this?
This 28.4-mile trek is best described as a turn-heavy local drive rather than a monotonous highway cruise. You will spend your time navigating local surface streets and connector roads, as the route does not rely on long-distance highway travel. The transition from the Aberdeen area into Essex keeps you engaged behind the wheel, requiring steady attention to turns rather than long, uninterrupted stretches. Expect a practical, no-frills experience that prioritizes directness over scenic highway cruising. It is a functional drive that gets you from point A to point B efficiently without the need for extended highway endurance.
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: 19.2 mi on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 19.1 miles in near I 95 / John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway.
Driving Effort
10/10
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 27.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 38m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 19.1 miles (I 95 / John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Aberdeen, MD to Essex, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Towson along the way.
Towson
22.3 mi in
|
~28m
About the Cities
Arriving in Essex, MD
Full guide →Southeast Baltimore, fittingly, covers the areas in the southeast of Baltimore, ranging from industrial wastelands to charming neighborhoods both quiet and hip.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 38m. Total distance: 27.8 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.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 19.2 miles on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
It helps. This route has a higher-than-average number of complex decision points, which get harder in the dark. If the last hour of the trip is on surface roads or mountain grades, aim to arrive at Essex, MD before sunset when you can. Check the Trip Plan for departure windows that land you in daylight.
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 19.1 miles (I 95 / John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 22.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 22.8 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Essex, MD before heading back.
How this page is built
Compiled by the US Trip Planner 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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