Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
28 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bel Air, MD
Wikimedia Commons
If you are looking for a quick getaway from Baltimore to Bel Air, you are looking at a brief 28-mile journey that typically takes about 43 minutes. This trip is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, as it is a short, efficient connector within Maryland's Northeast region. You can easily budget around $5 for fuel, making it a very economical trek. Because the transit time is so minimal, there is no need to worry about overnight lodging or splitting the drive. It is a straightforward, practical route for anyone needing to get between these two points without any unnecessary fuss.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Express Toll Lanes | 8.5 mi | 9m |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 7.3 mi | 8m |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway | 5.3 mi | 7m |
| East Baltimore Street | 2.8 mi | 8m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| East Lombard Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Baltimore Pike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Marketplace Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between Baltimore, MD and Bel Air, MD.
Start on East Fayette Street
Turn left onto MD 2
Turn left onto East Baltimore Street
At end of road, turn right onto MD 150
Turn left onto MD 150
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 895
Keep slight left at fork onto I 895
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto MD 24
Turn right onto Marketplace Drive
Continue on South Atwood Road
Turn right onto US 1 Business
Continue on US 1 Business
Turn left onto US 1 Business; MD 924
Turn right onto Courtland Place
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 27.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto MD 2 / Saint Paul Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto East Baltimore Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 24: Bel Air, Edgewood
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 24 North: Bel Air
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 1 Business; MD 924 / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.64 one way
$9.28 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.08 | $10.17 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.43 | $10.86 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.18 | $12.36 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 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 | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.92 | $1.79 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Baltimore on Sunday
Local time
4:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
91°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Late night in Bel Air on Sunday
Local time
4:02 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Unavailable
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
Expect a turn-heavy local drive that keeps you engaged rather than lulled by a monotonous interstate grind. You will navigate a mix of road types, including the Express Toll Lanes, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway. While you will encounter some highway segments, the longest uninterrupted stretch you will face is 8.5 miles on the Express Toll Lanes. The character of the road shifts as you transition from the urban atmosphere of Baltimore toward the more localized feel of Bel Air, requiring you to stay alert through several directional changes.
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 0.1 miles in near MD 2 / Saint Paul Street.
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 15 decision points packed into just 28 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (MD 2 / Saint Paul Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (East Baltimore Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Baltimore, MD to Bel Air, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Edgewood along the way.
Edgewood
“Bodymore, Murderland” · Founded 1729
Slices of American history are around every corner in Baltimore. Maryland's largest city is a gritty old seaport town that's perhaps most famous as the site of Fort McHenry, where, at the height of the War of 1812, the sight of a tattered but defiant American flag flying over the harbor, despite a furious British bombardment, inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that was later adapted into the U.S. national anthem "Star-Spangled Banner". Nowadays, Baltimore's nonstop nightlife, temperate climate, tradition of hospitality (they don't call this place "Charm City" for nothing), and cultural attractions — not to mention its prime location on the juncture of Chesapeake Bay — made it one of the major tourist destinations of the Mid-Atlantic region.
Top landmarks
Bel Air , along with Bel Air North and South, is a Central Maryland suburb of Baltimore, with a combined population of 75,000.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 28 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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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