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Trip from Cabin John, MD to Catonsville, 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

52m

Distance

38.6 mi

62 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 49m ★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m

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 Cabin John, MD, MD

Cabin John, MD

Shane Kell

census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Catonsville, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

If you are looking for a straightforward commute between Cabin John and Catonsville, this 38.6-mile trip is an efficient way to navigate the Maryland region. Expect a drive time of approximately 52 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day journey. With a fuel budget of just $6, this route is highly economical for travelers moving between these two points. You will primarily utilize the Capital Beltway and I-95 before transitioning onto MD 166. Because the distance is relatively short, there is no need to plan for overnight stays or complex logistics. It serves as a practical, no-nonsense connection that gets you where you need to go without requiring significant preparation.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 95 19.1 mi 22m
Capital Beltway 12.4 mi 16m
MD 166 1.1 mi 2m
Seven Locks Road 1.1 mi 1m
Bloomsbury Avenue 1 mi 2m
Metropolitan Boulevard 0.9 mi <1m
River Road 0.3 mi <1m
Tomlinson Avenue 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: I 95 — 19.1 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cabin John, MD and Catonsville, MD.

1

Start on 77th Street

243 ft · 13 sec · 77th Street
2

Turn left onto Tomlinson Avenue

0.2 mi · 42 sec · Tomlinson Avenue
3

Turn right onto Seven Locks Road

1.1 mi · 1 min · Seven Locks Road
4

Turn sharp right onto MD 190

0.3 mi · 43 sec · River Road
5

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Use the slight left lane.
6

Merge onto I 495

0.9 mi · 1 min · Capital Beltway
7

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495

11 mi · 14 min · Capital Beltway
Toward I 495: Bethesda, Baltimore Use the slight right lane.
8

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Exit 27 Toward I 95 North: Baltimore Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Keep slight left at fork

1.1 mi · 2 min
Toward I 95 North: Baltimore, New York
10

Merge onto I 95

19 mi · 22 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 22 sec
Exit 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
13

Merge onto MD 166

0.9 mi · 56 sec · Metropolitan Boulevard
14

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 166

1.1 mi · 2 min · MD 166
Toward MD 166: Catonsville, Community College of Baltimore County Use the slight right lane.
15

Turn right onto Bloomsbury Avenue

1.0 mi · 2 min · Bloomsbury Avenue
16

Turn left onto MD 144

153 ft · 6 sec · Frederick Road
17

Turn right

37 ft · 2 sec
18

Arrive at destination

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

19 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 38.6 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Laurel, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19.3 miles from Cabin John, 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 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 2.9 and 36.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
2.9 mi into trip | ~5m in | I 495 / Capital Beltway

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495: Bethesda, Baltimore

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 495: Bethesda, Baltimore
7
14.3 mi into trip | ~20m in

Take the exit toward I 95 North: Baltimore

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 27 Toward I 95 North: Baltimore
8
34.9 mi into trip | ~45m in

Take the exit toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville

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 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshal...
8
35.2 mi into trip | ~45m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 166: Catonsville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville
8
36.5 mi into trip | ~47m in | MD 166

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 166 toward MD 166: Catonsville, Community College of Baltimore County

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward MD 166: Catonsville, Community College o...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.40 one way

$12.80 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $7.01 $14.02
premium $4.93 $7.49 $14.97
diesel $5.61 $8.52 $17.04

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.6 0 $4.05 $1.85
Efficient EV 9.7 0 $3.38 $1.54
EV Truck/SUV 15.4 0 $5.40 $2.47

Gas CO2

14 kg

EV CO2

5 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 21, 2026

Origin

Cabin John, MD

Morning in Cabin John on Tuesday

Local time

6:38 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Catonsville, MD

Morning in Catonsville on Tuesday

Local time

6:38 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

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

52m 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 trip offers a mixed driving experience, balancing major interstate travel with local road transitions. Roughly 52% of your time will be spent on highways, providing a consistent pace for the majority of the journey. You should prepare for a longest stretch of 19.1 miles on I-95, where you will encounter the bulk of the traffic flow. As you move away from the heavy-duty interstate corridors, the route shifts into the local character of MD 166. Navigating this blend of high-speed lanes and regional roads keeps the drive feeling functional rather than monotonous.

52% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 19.1 mi on I 95.

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 2.9 miles in near I 495 / Capital Beltway.

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 15 decision points packed into just 38.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 2.9 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 34.9 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 Cabin John, MD and Catonsville, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore, New York and Community College Of Baltimore County.

Baltimore

2.9 mi in | ~5m | via I 495

New York

14.6 mi in | ~21m

Community College Of Baltimore County

36.5 mi in | ~47m | via MD 166

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 38.6 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

52m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (52%). 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 19.1 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 Catonsville, 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 2.9 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 34.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield. 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 Catonsville, 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, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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