Origin
Bethesda, MD
Late night in Bethesda on Sunday
Local time
5:55 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Bethesda, MD to Clarksburg, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
34m
Distance
22.1 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 31m
★
6 AM
0h 34m
8 AM
0h 40m
10 AM
0h 36m
12 PM
0h 35m
3 PM
0h 36m
5 PM
0h 40m
8 PM
0h 32m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Clarksburg, MD
Jonathan Borba
Trip Overview
Bethesda, MD to Clarksburg, MD is 22.1 miles and takes about 34 minutes via I 270, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a predominantly highway-focused drive that's quite straightforward for a single-day excursion. Given its short distance and duration, this route is ideal for a quick trip without needing an overnight stay. It's a practical journey connecting these two Maryland locales.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 17.9 mi | 24m |
| Rockville Pike | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Wisconsin Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Stringtown Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Edgemoor Lane | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Arlington Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Frederick Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Bethesda Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 17.9 mi, about 24m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Clarksburg, 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
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Rockville Pike
7
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
33 sec
Toward I 270 North: Frederick
8
Merge onto I 270
3.3 mi
·
4 min
·
I 270
9
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
15 mi
·
19 min
·
I 270
Toward I 270 North
Use the slight right lane.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 18
Toward MD 121: Boyds, Clarksburg
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
Toward MD 121 North: Clarksburg, Little Bennett Regional Park
Use the right lane.
12
Turn straight onto MD 121
489 ft
·
10 sec
·
Clarksburg Road
13
Continue on Stringtown Road
0.3 mi
·
45 sec
·
Stringtown Road
14
Turn left onto MD 355
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Frederick Road
15
Arrive at destination
MD 355
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 95 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 21.4 — 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
6.6 mi into trip
|
~12m in
|
I 270
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 270 North
8
21.2 mi into trip
|
~31m in
Take the exit toward MD 121: Boyds, Clarksburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 18
Toward MD 121: Boyds, Clarksburg
9
21.4 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 121 North: Clarksburg, Little Bennett Regional Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward MD 121 North: Clarksburg, Little Bennett...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.66 one way
$7.33 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.01 | $8.03 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.29 | $8.57 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.88 | $9.76 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.32 | $1.06 |
| Efficient EV | 5.5 | 0 | $1.93 | $0.88 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 8.8 | 0 | $3.09 | $1.41 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Clarksburg, MD
Late night in Clarksburg on Sunday
Local time
5:55 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
34m 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 is heavily highway-focused, with 81% of the drive taking place on major roadways. You'll spend a significant portion of your time on I 270, including a longest stretch of 17.9 miles on this interstate. Expect a consistent driving experience characterized by the speed and efficiency of highway travel. While Rockville Pike and Wisconsin Avenue are part of the journey, the bulk of it is on the interstate, making it a direct and relatively uninterrupted drive.
81% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.9 mi on I 270.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 270 and Rockville Pike. 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
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 9 decision points packed into just 22.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 34m.
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 6.6 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
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 34m. Total distance: 22.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
34m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (81%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 17.9 miles on I 270. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 Clarksburg, 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 6.6 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Monocacy National Battlefield and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (5 total within detour distance). 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 Clarksburg, 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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