Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 5m
Distance
48.6 mi
78 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
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.
Baltimore, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Germantown, MD
Wikimedia Commons
The drive from Baltimore, MD to Germantown, MD covers 48.6 miles and takes about 1h 5m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 95, Intercounty Connector, I 270 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.4 miles on I 95. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.12 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 20.4 mi | 24m |
| Intercounty Connector | 15.7 mi | 19m |
| I 270 | 4.5 mi | 5m |
| I 370 | 1.7 mi | 2m |
| Middlebrook Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Great Seneca Highway | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Cal Ripken Way | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Light Street | 0.4 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 48 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~5,885 veh/hr typical · worst 8,088
Quietest
2 AM
~664 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
8.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 100 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Baltimore, MD and Germantown, MD.
Start on East Fayette Street
Turn left onto MD 2
Continue on MD 2
Turn right onto East Conway Street
Turn left onto I 395
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Merge onto MD 200 Toll
Continue on MD 200 Toll
Continue on I 370
Take the exit
Merge onto I 270
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Middlebrook Road
Turn left onto MD 119
Turn right onto Dawson Farm Road
Turn right onto Liberty Mill Road
Turn sharp right
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
24 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.
A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 24.3 miles from Baltimore, MD, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 48.6 — 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 right onto East Conway Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 200 Toll West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Middlebrook Road West
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn sharp right
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
Regular Gas
$8.12 one way
$16.24 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $8.94 | $17.87 |
| premium | $5.01 | $9.59 | $19.18 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $10.71 | $21.43 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 14.6 | 0 | $5.10 | $2.33 |
| Efficient EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 19.4 | 0 | $6.80 | $3.11 |
Gas CO2
17 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (65% 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 Tuesday
Local time
3:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Germantown on Tuesday
Local time
3:43 AM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Mostly Clear
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.
48.6 mi in 1h 5m — 55% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: I 95.
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 0.1 miles in near MD 2 / Saint Paul Street.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.6 miles you will encounter 14 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 0.1 miles (MD 2 / Saint Paul Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.5 miles (East Conway Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 22.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
537 ft
Total Descent
133 ft
Highest Point
440 ft
~48.6 mi in
Elevation Range
404 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Baltimore, MD to Germantown, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Middlebrook Road West along the way.
Middlebrook Road West
“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
Germantown is an unincorporated city in the Capital Region of Maryland.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 5m. Total distance: 48.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 5m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (55%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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