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Trip from Brandywine, MD to Bethesda, MD

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

Drive Time

54m

Distance

28.1 mi

45 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$5

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m

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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Downtown Brandywine, MD, MD

Brandywine, MD

Jonathan Borba

unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States

Bethesda, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 28.1-mile drive from Brandywine, MD to Bethesda, MD is easily manageable as a single-day trip, taking approximately 54 minutes. With a modest fuel cost estimate of $5, it's an economical option for a quick journey. The route primarily utilizes local roads like Branch Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, with only an 11% highway share. Expect a turn-heavy local drive experience, typical for navigating between communities in the Northeast region. Given its short distance and duration, no overnight stops are necessary, offering flexibility in your travel plans.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Branch Avenue 11.1 mi 15m
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest 3.2 mi 9m
Brandywine Road 1.9 mi 3m
Little Falls Parkway 1.4 mi 2m
Marion Barry Avenue Southeast 1.2 mi 2m
Southeast Freeway 1.1 mi 1m
Massachusetts Avenue 0.7 mi 1m
Naylor Road Southeast 0.7 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Branch Avenue — 11.1 mi, about 15m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Brandywine, MD and Bethesda, MD.

1

Start on MD 381

1.9 mi · 3 min · Brandywine Road
2

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 35 sec
Use the straight / left / right lanes.
3

Merge onto MD 5

11 mi · 14 min · Branch Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
4

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 5

0.4 mi · 38 sec · Branch Avenue
5

Take the exit onto MD 637

0.2 mi · 28 sec · MD 637
Use the left lane.
6

Enter roundabout onto MD 637

129 ft · 2 sec · Naylor Road
7

Continue on MD 637

381 ft · 13 sec · Naylor Road
8

Enter roundabout onto MD 637

48 ft · 0 sec · Naylor Road
9

Continue on MD 637

0.3 mi · 50 sec · Naylor Road
10

Turn straight

295 ft · 10 sec
11

Turn slight right onto Naylor Road Southeast

0.7 mi · 1 min · Naylor Road Southeast
Use the straight / left lanes.
12

Turn left onto Marion Barry Avenue Southeast

1.2 mi · 2 min · Marion Barry Avenue Southeast
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto Martin Luther King Junior Avenue Southeast

0.5 mi · 53 sec · Martin Luther King Junior Avenue Southeast
14

Continue on 11th Street Southeast

0.3 mi · 51 sec · 11th Street Southeast
15

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 29 sec
Toward I 695 West Use the left lane.
16

Merge onto I 695

1.1 mi · 1 min · Southeast Freeway
17

Continue on I 395

0.3 mi · 32 sec · Southwest Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Exit 4B-A Toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Northwest, Downtown Use the slight right lane.
19

Keep slight right at fork

0.2 mi · 24 sec
Exit 4B Toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown Use the slight right lane.
20

Keep slight left at fork

513 ft · 16 sec
Toward D Street
21

Turn right onto 12th Street Southwest

0.2 mi · 31 sec · 12th Street Southwest
22

Turn left onto Independence Avenue Southwest

0.6 mi · 1 min · Independence Avenue Southwest
Use the left lane.
23

Keep slight right at fork onto 17th Street Southwest

0.3 mi · 40 sec · 17th Street Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
24

Continue on 17th Street Northwest

0.5 mi · 53 sec · 17th Street Northwest
Use the straight / left lanes.
25

Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest

0.6 mi · 59 sec · Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
26

Turn right onto 22nd Street Northwest

0.5 mi · 1 min · 22nd Street Northwest
Use the straight / slight right / right lanes.
27

Turn left onto P Street Northwest

209 ft · 7 sec · P Street Northwest
28

Turn right

521 ft · 19 sec
29

Turn straight onto Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest

0.2 mi · 27 sec · Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
30

Turn slight right

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Toward Massachusetts Avenue Use the straight / slight right lanes.
31

Continue on Waterside Drive Northwest

0.2 mi · 34 sec · Waterside Drive Northwest
32

Turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest

2.1 mi · 5 min · Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
33

Enter roundabout onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest

213 ft · 5 sec · Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
34

Continue on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest

1.1 mi · 2 min · Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
35

Enter roundabout onto MD 396

199 ft · 3 sec · Massachusetts Avenue
36

Continue on MD 396

0.7 mi · 1 min · Massachusetts Avenue
37

Turn right onto Little Falls Parkway

1.4 mi · 2 min · Little Falls Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
38

Turn right onto Arlington Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Arlington Road
39

Turn left onto Bethesda Avenue

510 ft · 22 sec · Bethesda Avenue
40

Turn left

44 ft · 3 sec
41

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 30

5 decision points cluster between mile 13.5 and 18.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
13.5 mi into trip | ~19m in | MD 637 / Naylor Road

Enter roundabout onto MD 637 / Naylor Road

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

6
16.6 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the ramp toward I 695 West

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 695 West
9
18.2 mi into trip | ~30m in

Take the exit toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Northwest, Downtown

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 4B-A Toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Nort...
10
18.4 mi into trip | ~30m in

Keep slight right at fork toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 4B Toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
6
18.6 mi into trip | ~31m in

Keep slight left at fork toward D Street

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward D Street

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.66 one way

$9.32 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 10 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $5.10 $10.20
premium $4.93 $5.45 $10.90
diesel $5.61 $6.20 $12.41

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$5

Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 8.4 0 $2.95 $1.35
Efficient EV 7 0 $2.46 $1.12
EV Truck/SUV 11.2 0 $3.93 $1.80

Gas CO2

10 kg

EV CO2

3 kg (70% 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

Brandywine, MD

Late night in Brandywine on Sunday

Local time

1:59 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Bethesda, MD

Late night in Bethesda on Sunday

Local time

1:59 AM

EDT

Current temp

75°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 warmer at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

54m 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?

The character of this drive is defined by its frequent turns and local road focus, making it a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile. While only 11% of the route involves highway travel, the longest uninterrupted stretch is 11.1 miles on Branch Avenue. This suggests a journey that transitions from more open local roads to potentially busier segments as you approach your destination. You'll likely experience varied traffic patterns and speed limits, requiring consistent attention to navigation and road conditions.

Only 11% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
41 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.1 mi on Branch Avenue.

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 13.5 miles in near MD 637 / Naylor Road.

Driving Effort 10/10

Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 30 decision points packed into just 28.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 13.5 miles (MD 637 / Naylor Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 16.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 18.2 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 Brandywine, MD and Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12Th Street Northwest and Downtown.

Maine Avenue Southwest

18.2 mi in | ~30m

12Th Street Northwest

18.2 mi in | ~30m

Downtown

18.2 mi in | ~30m

About the Cities

Arriving 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.

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 54m. Total distance: 28.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

54m 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 11.1 miles on Branch Avenue. 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 Bethesda, 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 13.5 miles (MD 637 / Naylor Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 16.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 18.2 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 Bethesda, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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