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Trip from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 1m

Distance

43.7 mi

70 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 57m ★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States

Bethesda, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Cape Saint Claire, MD, MD

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Jay Johnson

Trip Overview

Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD is 43.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 1 minute via John Hanson Highway, Capital Beltway, and Blue Star Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within the Northeast region and Maryland, offering a local feel. Expect a route with frequent turns rather than long stretches of highway. It's a straightforward trip, perfect if you're looking for a relatively short drive with minimal fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John Hanson Highway 18.7 mi 21m
Capital Beltway 14.4 mi 18m
Blue Star Memorial Highway 4.1 mi 5m
Jones Bridge Road 1.1 mi 2m
Cape Saint Claire Road 0.9 mi 2m
Wisconsin Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Busch's Frontage Road 0.4 mi <1m
Connecticut Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: John Hanson Highway — 18.7 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Cape Saint Claire, 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

14 mi · 18 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min
Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Merge onto US 50

19 mi · 21 min · John Hanson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Continue on US 50; US 301; MD 2

4.1 mi · 5 min · Blue Star Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 29A Toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Continue on Busch's Frontage Road

0.4 mi · 49 sec · Busch's Frontage Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Turn left onto MD 179

0.1 mi · 22 sec · Saint Margarets Road
17

Continue on MD 179

0.9 mi · 2 min · Cape Saint Claire Road
18

Turn left onto Hilltop Drive

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Hilltop Drive
19

Turn left onto Blue Ridge Drive

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Blue Ridge Drive
20

Turn right onto Hampton Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Hampton Road
21

Turn left onto Dogwood Tree Drive

312 ft · 13 sec · Dogwood Tree Drive
22

Arrive at destination

Dogwood Tree Drive

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

city in Prince George’s County, Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

New Carrollton, MD

22 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.

Pacing Suggestions

Kemp Mill, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bowie, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.9 miles from Bethesda, 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.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 41.3 — 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
7
17.5 mi into trip | ~25m in

Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
8
41.3 mi into trip | ~55m in

Take the exit toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road

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 29A Toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Fr...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.24 one way

$14.49 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $7.93 $15.87
premium $4.93 $8.48 $16.95
diesel $5.61 $9.65 $19.30

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.1 0 $4.59 $2.10
Efficient EV 10.9 0 $3.82 $1.75
EV Truck/SUV 17.5 0 $6.12 $2.80

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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 20, 2026

Origin

Bethesda, MD

Late night in Bethesda on Tuesday

Local time

5:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Late night in Cape Saint Claire on Tuesday

Local time

5:03 AM

EDT

Current temp

44°F

Chance Rain Showers

W 10 mph 7% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:47AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:25AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

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

23 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

1h 1m 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 drive is characterized as turn-heavy and local, with a highway share of 0%. You won't find yourself on high-speed interstates for extended periods. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.7 miles on the John Hanson Highway. As you progress, the route will feel more like navigating local roads with frequent directional changes, rather than a continuous cruise on a major highway.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
22 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.7 mi on John Hanson Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 0.1 miles in near Arlington Road.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 43.7 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 (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.

On the drive from Bethesda, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Silver Spring along the way.

Silver Spring

2.8 mi in | ~7m

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 1h 1m. Total distance: 43.7 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 18.7 miles on John Hanson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Cape Saint Claire, 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 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 Cape Saint Claire, 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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