Bowie to Clover Hill is 62.3 miles and takes about 1 hour 26 minutes via I 270, Capital Beltway, and John Hanson Highway, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. It's a relatively short trip, ideal for a single-day excursion. You'll encounter a mix of highway and surface roads, making it a straightforward commute rather than an epic adventure. Plan for this to be an easy transit day.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
I 270
31.8 mi
40m
Capital Beltway
16.4 mi
21m
John Hanson Highway
5.6 mi
6m
Frederick Freeway
2.9 mi
3m
Rosemont Avenue
1.2 mi
2m
Collington Road
1 mi
1m
Yellow Springs Road
0.8 mi
1m
Cloverhill Drive
0.3 mi
1m
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 31.8 mi, about 40m
Traffic on I-270
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 28 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~6,085 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~400 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a6anoon6p11p
Averaged across 96 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 Bowie, MD and Clover Hill, MD.
1
Start on this road
110 ft·8 sec·this road
2
Turn right
259 ft·20 sec
3
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
0.2 mi·33 sec·Evergreen Parkway
4
At end of road, turn left onto MD 197
1.0 mi·1 min·Collington Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Take the ramp
0.4 mi·55 sec
Toward US 50 West: WashingtonUse the slight right lane.
6
Merge onto US 50
5.6 mi·6 min·John Hanson Highway
7
Take the exit
0.4 mi·57 sec
Exit 7BToward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
8
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi·1 min
Exit 7BToward I 495 North, I 95 North: BeltwayUse the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 95; I 495
6.9 mi·8 min·Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
9.5 mi·12 min·Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver SpringUse the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
3.6 mi·4 min·I 270
Exit 35Toward I 270 North: FrederickUse the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
28 mi·35 min·I 270
Toward I 270 NorthUse the slight right lane.
13
Continue on Frederick Freeway
2.9 mi·3 min·Frederick Freeway
Toward US 15 North: Frederick, GettysburgUse the straight lane.
14
Take the exit
0.1 mi·25 sec
Exit 14Toward Rosemont AvenueUse the right lane.
15
Turn right onto Rosemont Avenue
1.2 mi·2 min·Rosemont Avenue
16
Continue on Yellow Springs Road
0.8 mi·1 min·Yellow Springs Road
17
Turn right onto Cloverhill Drive
0.3 mi·1 min·Cloverhill Drive
18
Turn left onto Sunnybrook Drive
0.2 mi·36 sec·Sunnybrook Drive
19
Turn right onto Meadowview Drive
0.2 mi·53 sec·Meadowview Drive
20
Turn left onto Glendale Drive
331 ft·16 sec·Glendale Drive
21
Turn right onto Clearfield Road
0.1 mi·32 sec·Clearfield Road
22
Turn right onto Overlook Court
108 ft·4 sec·Overlook Court
23
Arrive at destination
Overlook Court
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 31.2 miles from Bowie, 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 19
5 decision points cluster between mile 7.7 and 59.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
9
7.7 mi into trip|~11m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 7B
Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
8
15.2 mi into trip|~21m in|I 495 / Capital Beltway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
8
24.7 mi into trip|~33m in|I 270
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North: Frederick
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 35
Toward I 270 North: Frederick
7
28.3 mi into trip|~38m 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
7
59.4 mi into trip|~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward Rosemont Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 14
Toward Rosemont Avenue
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.88 one way
$21.76 round trip
$4.44/gal25.4 MPG avg22 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$4.86
$11.91
$23.83
premium
$5.20
$12.74
$25.49
diesel
$6.28
$15.39
$30.79
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 21.8 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-10-19.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging
· 0 stops
· 68% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
18.7
0
$6.54
$2.99
Efficient EV
15.6
0
$5.45
$2.49
EV Truck/SUV
24.9
0
$8.72
$3.99
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (68% 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 Oct 18, 2026
Origin
Bowie, MD
Evening
in Bowie on Friday
Local time
5:05 PM
EDT
Current temp
59°F
Sunny
NE 3 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Coastal Flood Watch
Coastal Flood Watch issued October 18 at 3:01PM EDT until October 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA
Coastal Flood Watch
Coastal Flood Watch issued October 18 at 3:01PM EDT until October 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA
Destination
Clover Hill, MD
Evening
in Clover Hill on Friday
Local time
5:05 PM
EDT
Current temp
60°F
Sunny
NE 2 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Coastal Flood Watch
Coastal Flood Watch issued October 18 at 3:01PM EDT until October 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA
Coastal Flood Watch
Coastal Flood Watch issued October 18 at 3:01PM EDT until October 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA
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 warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 26m 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.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This route features a 56% highway share, meaning you'll spend a good portion of the 62.3 miles on faster roads. The longest continuous stretch on a highway is 31.8 miles on I 270. Expect the transition from highway to surface roads to occur around the halfway point of your drive. You'll notice more frequent exits and merging traffic as you navigate the Capital Beltway and John Hanson Highway.
56% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.8 mi on I 270.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7.7 miles in.
Driving Effort10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 62.3 miles you will encounter 19 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 7.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
598 ft89 ft
Total Climb
718 ft
Total Descent
475 ft
Highest Point
598 ft
~44.5 mi in
Elevation Range
508 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bowie, MD and Clover Hill, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring and Gettysburg.
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 62.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (56%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 31.8 miles on I 270. 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 Clover Hill, 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 7.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 15.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 24.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Monocacy National Battlefield, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park 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 Clover Hill, MD before heading back.
