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Trip from Brentwood, MD to Columbia, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

45m

Distance

33.2 mi

53 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 11 min
4 AM
0h 42m ★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 53m
10 AM
0h 48m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 43m

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 Brentwood, MD, MD

Brentwood, MD

RDNE Stock project

planned community in Howard County, Maryland, United States

Columbia, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Brentwood, MD to Columbia, MD is 33.2 miles and takes about 45m via I 95, MD 100, and Kenilworth Avenue, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region toward the Northeast region. The majority of this trip is on highways, making it a straightforward commute. It's a short enough distance that you can easily complete it in a single day, allowing for flexibility in your schedule.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 16.3 mi 19m
MD 100 5.2 mi 7m
Kenilworth Avenue 4.9 mi 8m
Capital Beltway 2.9 mi 3m
Bladensburg Road 0.7 mi 1m
38th Street 0.5 mi 1m
Columbia Pike 0.5 mi <1m
38th Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 16.3 mi, about 19m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Brentwood, MD and Columbia, MD.

1

Start on MD 208

0.5 mi · 1 min · 38th Street
2

Continue on MD 208

0.2 mi · 29 sec · 38th Avenue
3

Turn left onto US 1 Alternate

0.5 mi · 1 min · Bladensburg Road
4

Continue on MD 450

0.1 mi · 13 sec · Bladensburg Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Continue on MD 450

0.2 mi · 24 sec · Annapolis Road
6

Turn left onto 48th Street

0.1 mi · 16 sec · 48th Street
7

Turn right onto MD 201

4.9 mi · 8 min · Kenilworth Avenue
8

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park Use the right lane.
9

Merge onto I 95; I 495

2.9 mi · 3 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Keep slight right at fork onto I 95

16 mi · 19 min · I 95
Toward I-95 North: Baltimore Use the straight / slight left lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 46 sec
Exit 43B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City Use the slight right lane.
12

Merge onto MD 100

5.2 mi · 7 min · MD 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 47 sec
Toward US 29 South: Washington Use the slight left lane.
14

Merge onto US 29

0.5 mi · 30 sec · Columbia Pike
15

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Exit 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16

Arrive at destination

Exit 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Riverdale Park, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Riverdale Park, MD

17 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

Ellicott City, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Laurel, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 16.6 miles from Brentwood, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 6.6 and 32.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
6.6 mi into trip | ~12m in

Take the ramp toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the right lane. Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Coll...
7
9.9 mi into trip | ~16m in | I 95

Keep slight right at fork onto I 95 toward I-95 North: Baltimore

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight left lanes. Toward I-95 North: Baltimore
7
26.2 mi into trip | ~35m in

Take the exit toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 43B Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
7
31.8 mi into trip | ~43m in

Keep slight left at fork toward US 29 South: Washington

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward US 29 South: Washington
8
32.8 mi into trip | ~44m in

Take the exit toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 21B Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Searc...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.50 one way

$11.01 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.03 $12.06
premium $4.93 $6.44 $12.88
diesel $5.61 $7.33 $14.66

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10 0 $3.49 $1.59
Efficient EV 8.3 0 $2.91 $1.33
EV Truck/SUV 13.3 0 $4.65 $2.12

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 kg (67% 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 20, 2026

Origin

Brentwood, MD

Late night in Brentwood on Tuesday

Local time

5:39 AM

EDT

Current temp

51°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Columbia, MD

Late night in Columbia on Tuesday

Local time

5:39 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°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

13 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

45m 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?

This drive is mostly highway, with 65% of the route on interstates. You'll experience a stretch of 16.3 miles on I 95, which is the longest continuous highway segment. As you get closer to Columbia, you'll transition from highway driving to surface roads like Kenilworth Avenue, which will likely feature more varied traffic patterns and potentially more frequent exits.

65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
16 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.3 mi on I 95.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and MD 100. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 6.6 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

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 11 decision points packed into just 33.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 45m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 6.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.9 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

407 ft 23 ft

Total Climb

489 ft

Total Descent

105 ft

Highest Point

407 ft

~33.2 mi in

Elevation Range

384 ft

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

On the drive from Brentwood, MD to Columbia, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.

College Park

6.6 mi in | ~12m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 45m. Total distance: 33.2 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

45m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 16.3 miles on I 95. 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 Columbia, 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 6.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 9.9 miles (I 95): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 26.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. 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 Columbia, 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 NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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