Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Bethesda, MD to Towson, MD

Pin this trip

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

1h 12m

Distance

48.5 mi

78 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$8

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 17 min
4 AM
1h 7m ★
6 AM
1h 13m
8 AM
1h 24m
10 AM
1h 17m
12 PM
1h 16m
3 PM
1h 17m
5 PM
1h 24m
8 PM
1h 9m

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

Best Time
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States

Bethesda, MD

Wikimedia Commons

suburb of Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Towson, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

The drive from Bethesda, MD to Towson, MD covers 48.5 miles and takes about 1h 12m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.

The route leans on Columbia Pike, Baltimore Beltway, I 70 for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 21.3 miles on Columbia Pike. At current regular gas prices, budget about $8.10 one way before food or hotel costs.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Columbia Pike 21.3 mi 29m
Baltimore Beltway 12.5 mi 17m
I 70 3.8 mi 4m
Capital Beltway 3.4 mi 4m
Colesville Road 1.2 mi 2m
Jones Bridge Road 1.1 mi 2m
York Road 1.1 mi 2m
Wisconsin Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Columbia Pike — 21.3 mi, about 29m

Traffic on I-695

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 20 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

4 PM

~5,135 veh/hr typical · worst 6,959

Quietest

2 AM

~392 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

13.1×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 94 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Bethesda, MD and Towson, 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

3.4 mi · 4 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 28 sec
Exit 30A Toward US 29 North: Columbia Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Merge onto US 29

1.2 mi · 2 min · Colesville Road
13

Continue on US 29

21 mi · 29 min · Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.7 mi · 1 min
Exit 25A Toward I 70 East: Baltimore Use the slight right lane.
15

Merge onto I 70

3.8 mi · 4 min · I 70
16

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 16 sec
Exit 91B-A Toward I 695 North, I 695 South: New York, Towson, Baltimore, Glen Burnie Use the slight right lane.
17

Keep slight left at fork

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 91B Toward I 695 North: New York, Towson Use the slight left lane.
18

Merge onto I 695

13 mi · 17 min · Baltimore Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 49 sec
Exit 26A Toward MD 45 South: York Road, Towson Use the slight right lane.
20

Turn left onto West Road

0.1 mi · 26 sec · West Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
21

Turn right onto MD 45

0.9 mi · 1 min · York Road
Use the right lane.
22

Enter roundabout onto MD 45

95 ft · 1 sec · York Road
23

Continue on MD 45

498 ft · 15 sec · York Road
24

Continue on MD 45

513 ft · 21 sec · York Road
25

Turn right onto Shealy Avenue

104 ft · 4 sec · Shealy Avenue
26

Arrive at destination

Shealy Avenue

Where to Stop

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

planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Columbia, MD

24 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

White Oak, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Columbia, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 24.3 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 20

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 47.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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
6.5 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the exit toward US 29 North: Columbia

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

Use the straight / right lanes. Exit 30A Toward US 29 North: Columbia
8
33.6 mi into trip | ~50m in

Take the exit toward I 695 North, I 695 South: New York, Towson, Baltimore, Glen Burnie

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 91B-A Toward I 695 North, I 695 South: New York, Tows...
9
33.8 mi into trip | ~50m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 695 North: New York, Towson

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Exit 91B Toward I 695 North: New York, Towson
8
47.1 mi into trip | ~1h 9m in

Take the exit toward MD 45 South: York Road, Towson

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 26A Toward MD 45 South: York Road, Towson

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$8.10 one way

$16.21 round trip

$4.24/gal 25.4 MPG avg 17 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.67 $8.92 $17.84
premium $5.01 $9.57 $19.14
diesel $5.60 $10.69 $21.38

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$8

Estimated CO2 emission: 17 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 14.6 0 $5.09 $2.33
Efficient EV 12.1 0 $4.24 $1.94
EV Truck/SUV 19.4 0 $6.79 $3.10

Gas CO2

17 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (65% 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 Sep 2, 2026

Origin

Bethesda, MD

Morning in Bethesda on Saturday

Local time

8:04 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°F

Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 5 mph 19% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:51PM EDT until September 1 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washin...

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:40PM EDT until September 1 at 10:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Towson, MD

Morning in Towson on Saturday

Local time

8:04 AM

EDT

Current temp

73°F

Chance Showers And Thunderstorms

NW 2 to 6 mph 41% chance Live forecast

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:51PM EDT until September 1 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washin...

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

Severe Thunderstorm Warning issued September 1 at 9:40PM EDT until September 1 at 10:45PM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

79°F

Columbia, MD

24 mi in

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

2 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 12m 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?

48.5 mi in 1h 12m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.

Only 8% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.3 mi on Columbia Pike.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 2.8 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 48.5 miles you will encounter 20 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

500 ft 184 ft

Total Climb

687 ft

Total Descent

539 ft

Highest Point

500 ft

~41.6 mi in

Elevation Range

317 ft

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 Towson, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring, Baltimore and Glen Burnie.

Silver Spring

2.8 mi in | ~7m

Baltimore

33.6 mi in | ~50m

Glen Burnie

33.6 mi in | ~50m

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.

Top landmarks

  • • Robert Llewellyn Wright House — historic house in Bethesda, Maryland

Arriving in Towson, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1750

Towson is an unincorporated city in Central Maryland. It is located directly north of Baltimore City and is the county seat of Baltimore County.

Top landmarks

  • • Goucher College — private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland

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 12m. Total distance: 48.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 12m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 21.3 miles on Columbia Pike. 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 Towson, 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 2.8 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 6.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 33.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Towson, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

More from Bethesda, MD

Jarrettsville, MD 72.2 mi · 1h 40m Smithsburg, MD 60.3 mi · 1h 20m Cockeysville, MD 50.4 mi · 1h 16m North Beach, MD 47.5 mi · 1h 14m Parole, MD 36.8 mi · 50m Walker Mill, MD 26.4 mi · 39m
Escape planner: Bethesda, MD Scenic drives in MD

Explore more options from Bethesda, MD or browse trips ending in Towson, MD.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.