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Trip from Bethesda, MD to Dunkirk Town Center, MD

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

Drive Time

1h 2m

Distance

41.3 mi

66 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 58m ★
6 AM
1h 3m
8 AM
1h 13m
10 AM
1h 6m
12 PM
1h 5m
3 PM
1h 7m
5 PM
1h 12m
8 PM
1h 0m

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 Dunkirk Town Center, MD, MD

Dunkirk Town Center, MD

Irina Iriser

Trip Overview

Bethesda, MD to Dunkirk Town Center, MD is 41.3 miles and takes about 1h 2m via Capital Beltway and Ritchie Marlboro Road, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region towards the southern part of the state. Expect a local, turn-heavy experience rather than an open highway cruise. Given its short duration and modest fuel cost, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion, offering a straightforward journey with minimal planning required.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 20 mi 26m
Ritchie Marlboro Road 5.9 mi 10m
Southern Maryland Boulevard 5.2 mi 7m
Stephanie Roper Highway 4.9 mi 6m
Pennsylvania Avenue 1.3 mi 1m
Jones Bridge Road 1.1 mi 2m
Wisconsin Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Connecticut Avenue 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 20 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Dunkirk Town Center, 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

20 mi · 26 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 41 sec
Exit 13 Toward MD 221A: Capitol Heights, Upper Marlboro Use the slight right lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.1 mi · 15 sec
Toward East Upper Marlboro, Ritchie - Marlboro Road
13

Enter roundabout onto Ritchie Marlboro Road

286 ft · 4 sec · Ritchie Marlboro Road
14

Continue on Ritchie Marlboro Road

0.3 mi · 26 sec · Ritchie Marlboro Road
15

Enter roundabout onto Ritchie Marlboro Road

140 ft · 2 sec · Ritchie Marlboro Road
16

Continue on Ritchie Marlboro Road

0.4 mi · 41 sec · Ritchie Marlboro Road
17

Continue on Ritchie Marlboro Road

5.2 mi · 9 min · Ritchie Marlboro Road
18

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 25 sec
Toward MD 4 South: Prince Frederick
19

Merge onto MD 4

1.3 mi · 1 min · Pennsylvania Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
20

Continue on MD 4

4.9 mi · 6 min · Stephanie Roper Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21

Continue on MD 4

5.2 mi · 7 min · Southern Maryland Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
22

Turn left onto Ward Road

115 ft · 8 sec · Ward Road
Use the left lane.
23

Turn left onto MD 4

441 ft · 8 sec · Southern Maryland Boulevard
24

Turn slight right

171 ft · 17 sec
25

Turn left

196 ft · 16 sec
26

Turn right

467 ft · 34 sec
27

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

census-designated place in Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Forestville, MD

21 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

Oakland, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Seat Pleasant, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.6 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 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 41 — 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

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
8
23.1 mi into trip | ~33m in

Take the exit toward MD 221A: Capitol Heights, Upper Marlboro

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 13 Toward MD 221A: Capitol Heights, Upper Marlboro
6
23.4 mi into trip | ~34m in

Keep slight left at fork toward East Upper Marlboro, Ritchie - Marlboro Road

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Toward East Upper Marlboro, Ritchie - Marlboro...
6
41 mi into trip | ~1h 1m in | Ward Road

Turn left onto Ward Road

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.85 one way

$13.69 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $7.50 $15.00
premium $4.93 $8.01 $16.02
diesel $5.61 $9.12 $18.24

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12.4 0 $4.34 $1.98
Efficient EV 10.3 0 $3.61 $1.65
EV Truck/SUV 16.5 0 $5.78 $2.64

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (64% 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

12:27 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Dunkirk Town Center, MD

Late night in Dunkirk Town Center on Sunday

Local time

12:27 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

1h 2m 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 characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, with no highway share, meaning you won't be on limited-access interstates. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 20 miles on the Capital Beltway before transitioning to local roads. As you progress, expect to navigate through more developed areas with frequent intersections and changes in speed limits. This drive will require your full attention, as the focus is on local road navigation rather than covering long distances at high speed.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
27 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20 mi on Capital Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 41.3 miles you will encounter 17 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Dunkirk Town Center, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring and Upper Marlboro.

Silver Spring

2.8 mi in | ~7m

Upper Marlboro

23.1 mi in | ~33m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 2m. Total distance: 41.3 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 2m 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 20 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Dunkirk Town Center, 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 23.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Dunkirk Town Center, 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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