Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 24m
Distance
64.2 mi
103 km
Drive Score
9/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
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.
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Jefferson, MD
RDNE Stock project
Bowie, MD to Jefferson, MD is 64.2 miles and takes about 1 hour 24 minutes via I 270 and Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, primarily taking you northwest from the Northeast region. You'll spend a good portion of the drive on major highways, so expect a fairly direct journey. It's a manageable distance, making it a straightforward option for a single-day excursion.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 31.8 mi | 40m |
| Capital Beltway | 16.4 mi | 21m |
| John Hanson Highway | 5.6 mi | 6m |
| Jefferson National Pike | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Collington Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| I 70 | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| I 70 Exit 5A | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Evergreen Parkway | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~6,103 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~397 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Bowie, MD and Jefferson, MD.
Start on this road
Turn right
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
At end of road, turn left onto MD 197
Take the ramp
Merge onto US 50
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95; I 495
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 70
Take the exit onto I 70 Exit 5A
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto US 15; US 340
Keep slight right at fork onto US 340
Take the exit
Turn slight right
Turn slight right onto Lander Road
Turn uturn
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
32 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 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 32.1 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 7.7 and 57.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
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
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
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North: Frederick
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 70: Hagerstown, Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit onto I 70 Exit 5A toward US 340 West, US 15 South: Charles Town, Leesburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$11.35 one way
$22.71 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $12.44 | $24.87 |
| premium | $5.24 | $13.25 | $26.51 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $13.52 | $27.04 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.3 | 0 | $6.74 | $3.08 |
| Efficient EV | 16.1 | 0 | $5.62 | $2.57 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 25.7 | 0 | $8.99 | $4.11 |
Gas CO2
22 kg
EV CO2
8 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Bowie on Wednesday
Local time
3:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Jefferson on Wednesday
Local time
3:50 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Sunny
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 route offers a mixed drive, with 51% of it on highways. You'll encounter some stretches on the Capital Beltway and John Hanson Highway before merging onto I 270 for a significant portion of the journey. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll experience is 31.8 miles on I 270. Expect a blend of faster-paced highway driving with potentially some local road transitions as you approach your destination.
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.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 64.2 miles you will encounter 21 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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
750 ft
Total Descent
296 ft
Highest Point
580 ft
~64.2 mi in
Elevation Range
453 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Bowie, MD and Jefferson, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring, Baltimore and Leesburg.
Silver Spring
Baltimore
Leesburg
Founded 1882
Bowie is a suburban bedroom community of Washington, D.C. in Prince George's County, Maryland.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 24m. Total distance: 64.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 24m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (51%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface 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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