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Trip from Bethesda, MD to Adelphi, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

18m

Distance

10 mi

16 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

4 AM
0h 16m ★
6 AM
0h 18m
8 AM
0h 21m
10 AM
0h 19m
12 PM
0h 19m
3 PM
0h 19m
5 PM
0h 21m
8 PM
0h 17m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States

Bethesda, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Adelphi, MD, MD

Adelphi, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Planning a quick trip from Bethesda, MD to Adelphi, MD? This 10-mile drive will take about 18 minutes and is best suited for a single day. You'll navigate primarily using the Capital Beltway, Jones Bridge Road, and Wisconsin Avenue, with no significant highway driving. Expect a low fuel cost of around $2 for this short journey. Since there are no designated stops, this is a straightforward local transit experience rather than an extended excursion. It's a convenient local hop within the Northeast region of Maryland, perfect for a brief errand or a quick visit.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 5.4 mi 6m
Jones Bridge Road 1.1 mi 2m
Wisconsin Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Adelphi Road 0.6 mi 1m
New Hampshire Avenue 0.4 mi <1m
Connecticut Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Edgemoor Lane 0.3 mi <1m
Arlington Road 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 5.4 mi, about 6m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Adelphi, MD.

1

Start on this road

44 ft · 5 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue

510 ft · 24 sec · Bethesda Avenue
3

Turn left onto Arlington Road

0.3 mi · 55 sec · Arlington Road
4

Turn right onto Edgemoor Lane

0.3 mi · 51 sec · Edgemoor Lane
5

Turn left onto MD 355

0.7 mi · 1 min · Wisconsin Avenue
6

Continue on MD 355

0.1 mi · 19 sec · Rockville Pike
7

Turn right onto Jones Bridge Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Jones Bridge Road
8

Turn left onto MD 185

0.3 mi · 39 sec · Connecticut Avenue
Use the left / slight left lanes.
9

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 31 sec
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring Use the slight right lane.
10

Merge onto I 495

5.4 mi · 6 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 40 sec
Exit 28B Toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South, Takoma Park Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Turn straight onto MD 650

0.4 mi · 55 sec · New Hampshire Avenue
13

Turn left onto Adelphi Road

0.6 mi · 1 min · Adelphi Road
14

Turn right onto Edwards Way

0.1 mi · 20 sec · Edwards Way
15

Turn right onto MD 212

0.1 mi · 13 sec · Riggs Road
16

Arrive at destination

MD 212

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 8.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Arlington Road

Turn left onto Arlington Road

Navigation decision point

5
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | Edgemoor Lane

Turn right onto Edgemoor Lane

Navigation decision point

7
2.8 mi into trip | ~7m in

Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
5
3.1 mi into trip | ~7m in | I 495 / Capital Beltway

Merge onto I 495 / Capital Beltway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
8.5 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South, Takoma Park

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 28B Toward MD 650 South: New Hampshire Avenue South...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$1.66 one way

$3.32 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 4 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $1.82 $3.63
premium $4.93 $1.94 $3.88
diesel $5.61 $2.21 $4.42

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 3.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $1 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 3 0 $1.05 $0.48
Efficient EV 2.5 0 $0.88 $0.40
EV Truck/SUV 4 0 $1.40 $0.64

Gas CO2

3 kg

EV CO2

1 kg (67% 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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Bethesda, MD

Late night in Bethesda on Sunday

Local time

1:57 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Adelphi, MD

Late night in Adelphi on Sunday

Local time

1:57 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°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

1 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

18m 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 route offers a turn-heavy local drive experience, with a 0% highway share. You’ll spend most of your time on local roads, interspersed with a stretch of the Capital Beltway. The longest uninterrupted segment you'll encounter is 5.4 miles on the Capital Beltway. The road character shifts between typical urban and suburban thoroughfares as you move between these nearby Maryland communities. Expect frequent intersections and traffic signals, characteristic of navigating through developed areas.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 5.4 mi on Capital Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

5/10

Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. You will hit about 11 points where you need to pay attention to lane position or signs. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near Arlington Road.

Driving Effort 5/10

Moderate - straightforward overall, but long enough or busy enough to require pacing

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 10 miles you will encounter 11 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 (Arlington Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Edgemoor Lane): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Bethesda, MD and Adelphi, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring and Takoma Park.

Silver Spring

2.8 mi in | ~7m

Takoma Park

8.5 mi in | ~14m

About the Cities

Starting in Bethesda, MD

Full guide →

Bethesda is in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1½ miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Wealthy and well-educated, Bethesda is best known for its numerous restaurants and as the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.

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 18m. Total distance: 10 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

18m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (0%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 5.4 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 (Arlington Road): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (Edgemoor Lane): Navigation decision point; at 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

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 Adelphi, 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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