Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 8, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
50m
Distance
36.8 mi
59 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
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.
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Parole, MD
Mikhail Nilov
Bethesda, MD to Parole, MD is 36.8 miles and takes about 50 minutes via John Hanson Highway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, entirely within Maryland. Given the relatively short distance and duration, it's a straightforward drive. Most of the route involves surface roads, so expect typical suburban and town driving. It's a good option for a quick trip without needing an overnight stay.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John Hanson Highway | 17.4 mi | 20m |
| Capital Beltway | 14.4 mi | 18m |
| Jones Bridge Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Wisconsin Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Connecticut Avenue | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Edgemoor Lane | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Arlington Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~6,323 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~550 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 33 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Parole, MD.
Start on this road
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
Turn left onto Arlington Road
Turn right onto Edgemoor Lane
Turn left onto MD 355
Continue on MD 355
Turn right onto Jones Bridge Road
Turn left onto MD 185
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Merge onto US 50
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto MD 450
Turn right onto Hicks Avenue
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
18 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 36.8 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 18.4 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 36 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto Arlington Road
Navigation decision point
Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 450: Parole
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 450 East: Annapolis, Riva Road, Parole
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$6.15 one way
$12.30 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $6.77 | $13.53 |
| premium | $5.01 | $7.26 | $14.52 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.11 | $16.22 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11 | 0 | $3.86 | $1.77 |
| Efficient EV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.22 | $1.47 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 14.7 | 0 | $5.15 | $2.36 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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
Evening in Bethesda on Tuesday
Local time
5:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
72°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Evening in Parole on Tuesday
Local time
5:25 PM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
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.
This drive is primarily on surface roads, with no highway share percentage given. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch on John Hanson Highway, covering 17.4 miles. The route utilizes John Hanson Highway, Capital Beltway, and Jones Bridge Road. Expect a consistent pace with frequent intersections and changes in speed limits as you transition between different road types.
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.
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 13 decision points packed into just 36.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.
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 17.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
159 ft
Total Descent
411 ft
Highest Point
321 ft
~5.3 mi in
Elevation Range
256 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Bethesda, MD to Parole, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Silver Spring along the way.
Silver Spring
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.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 50m. Total distance: 36.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
50m 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.
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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