Origin
Baden, MD
Late night in Baden on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Baden, MD to Bowie, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
27.2 mi
44 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Sparse
1 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 41m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 39m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Baden, MD
RDNE Stock project
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Baden, MD to Bowie, MD is 27.2 miles and takes about 40 minutes via Crain Highway, with a fuel budget near $5 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a local drive with numerous turns, making it feel more like navigating through towns than a simple highway cruise. Given its short distance and duration, it's an ideal same-day excursion perfect for a quick errand or a visit to a nearby area without committing a full day to travel.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Crain Highway | 12.6 mi | 17m |
| South East Crain Highway | 7.4 mi | 10m |
| Brandywine Road | 6 mi | 9m |
| Collington Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Evergreen Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Aquasco Road | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Crain Highway
— 12.6 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Baden, MD and Bowie, MD.
1
Start on MD 381
65 ft
·
1 sec
·
Aquasco Road
2
Continue on MD 381
6.0 mi
·
9 min
·
Brandywine Road
3
Turn right onto US 301
13 mi
·
17 min
·
Crain Highway
4
Continue on US 301
7.4 mi
·
10 min
·
South East Crain Highway
Use the straight lane.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Toward MD 197 North
Use the slight left lane.
6
Turn straight onto MD 197
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Collington Road
Use the left lane.
7
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Evergreen Parkway
8
Turn right
259 ft
·
20 sec
9
Turn left
110 ft
·
8 sec
10
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 26 and 27.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
26 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward MD 197 North
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward MD 197 North
3
26.2 mi into trip
|
~38m in
|
MD 197 / Collington Road
Turn straight onto MD 197 / Collington Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
26.9 mi into trip
|
~39m in
|
Evergreen Parkway
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
Navigation decision point
5
27.1 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Turn right
Navigation decision point
4
27.1 mi into trip
|
~40m in
Turn left
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.51 one way
$9.02 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.94 | $9.88 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.28 | $10.55 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.01 | $12.01 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.5 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 | 8.2 | 0 | $2.86 | $1.31 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.38 | $1.09 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.81 | $1.74 |
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
Bowie, MD
Late night in Bowie on Sunday
Local time
3:34 AM
EDT
Current temp
81°F
Mostly Sunny
NW 12 mph
9% 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
5 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
40m 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?
This route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you'll be making frequent adjustments rather than settling into long stretches of highway. With a highway share of 100%, you'll primarily be on well-maintained local roads. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 12.6 miles along Crain Highway. As you progress, be prepared for the road to evolve through different local names like South East Crain Highway and Brandywine Road, requiring your attention to navigation.
Only 1% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
10 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12.6 mi on Crain Highway.
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 26 miles in.
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 40m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 26 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles (MD 197 / Collington Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.9 miles (Evergreen Parkway): Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Arriving in Bowie, MD
Full guide →Bowie is a suburban bedroom community of Washington, D.C. in Prince George's County, Maryland.
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 40m. Total distance: 27.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (1%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 12.6 miles on Crain Highway. 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 26 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles (MD 197 / Collington Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 26.9 miles (Evergreen Parkway): Navigation decision point.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. 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 Bowie, 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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