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Trip from Cape Saint Claire, MD to North 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

1h 1m

Distance

44.5 mi

72 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 57m ★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
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Downtown Cape Saint Claire, MD, MD

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Jay Johnson

Downtown North Bethesda, MD, MD

North Bethesda, MD

Kelly

Trip Overview

This 44.5-mile drive from Cape Saint Claire, MD, to North Bethesda, MD, is a straightforward 1-hour journey, making it ideal for a single day trip. You'll navigate primarily via the John Hanson Highway and the Capital Beltway, with a portion on the Blue Star Memorial Highway. The estimated fuel cost for this route is around $7, reflecting its manageable distance. This drive stays within the Northeast region, offering a consistent feel throughout. It's a practical option for a quick transit between these Maryland locations, requiring no overnight stops.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John Hanson Highway 18.4 mi 22m
Capital Beltway 16.1 mi 20m
Blue Star Memorial Highway 4.5 mi 6m
Rockville Pike 1.8 mi 3m
Cape Saint Claire Road 0.7 mi 1m
Nicholson Lane 0.3 mi 1m
Hampton Road 0.3 mi 1m
Hilltop Drive 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: John Hanson Highway — 18.4 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cape Saint Claire, MD and North Bethesda, MD.

1

Start on Dogwood Tree Drive

312 ft · 16 sec · Dogwood Tree Drive
2

Turn right onto Hampton Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Hampton Road
3

Turn left onto Blue Ridge Drive

0.2 mi · 28 sec · Blue Ridge Drive
4

Turn right onto Hilltop Drive

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Hilltop Drive
5

Turn right onto Cape Saint Claire Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Cape Saint Claire Road
6

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward US 50 West, US 301 West: Washington
7

Merge onto US 50; US 301

4.5 mi · 6 min · Blue Star Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Continue on US 50; US 301; MD 2

18 mi · 22 min · John Hanson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 57 sec
Exit 7B Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 7B Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway Use the slight left lane.
11

Merge onto I 95; I 495

6.9 mi · 8 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 495

9.2 mi · 11 min · Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 37 sec
Exit 34 Toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Turn straight onto MD 355

1.8 mi · 3 min · Rockville Pike
15

Turn left onto Nicholson Lane

0.3 mi · 1 min · Nicholson Lane
Use the left lane.
16

Turn left onto Commonwealth Drive

347 ft · 17 sec · Commonwealth Drive
17

Turn right onto Tudor Lane

338 ft · 15 sec · Tudor Lane
18

Continue on Tudor Lane

146 ft · 6 sec · Tudor Lane
19

Arrive at destination

Tudor Lane

Where to Stop

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

city in Prince George’s County, Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

New Carrollton, MD

22 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

Parole, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

New Carrollton, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 22.3 miles from Cape Saint Claire, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 24.7 and 44 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
24.7 mi into trip | ~32m in

Take the exit toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring

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

Exit 7B Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silv...
9
25.2 mi into trip | ~33m 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
32.7 mi into trip | ~44m 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
41.9 mi into trip | ~55m in

Take the exit toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville

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 34 Toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville
6
44 mi into trip | ~1h in | Nicholson Lane

Turn left onto Nicholson Lane

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.38 one way

$14.76 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 16 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $8.08 $16.16
premium $4.93 $8.63 $17.26
diesel $5.61 $9.83 $19.65

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 15.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 13.4 0 $4.67 $2.14
Efficient EV 11.1 0 $3.89 $1.78
EV Truck/SUV 17.8 0 $6.23 $2.85

Gas CO2

16 kg

EV CO2

5 kg (69% 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 16, 2026

Origin

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Morning in Cape Saint Claire on Sunday

Local time

6:08 AM

EDT

Current temp

71°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Bethesda, MD

Morning in North Bethesda on Sunday

Local time

6:08 AM

EDT

Current temp

93°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 9 to 14 mph 3% chance 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

22 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 1m 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.

What kind of drive is this?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive for this 1-hour, 44.5-mile trip. While you'll touch on major arteries like the John Hanson Highway, Capital Beltway, and Blue Star Memorial Highway, the overall profile leans towards more frequent directional changes rather than continuous high-speed travel. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 18.4 miles on the John Hanson Highway. With a highway share of 0%, this route emphasizes local road navigation over long-distance highway cruising.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.4 mi on John Hanson Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 24.7 miles in.

Driving Effort 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 44.5 miles you will encounter 14 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 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.7 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Cape Saint Claire, MD and North Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring and Rockville.

Silver Spring

24.7 mi in | ~32m

Rockville

41.9 mi in | ~55m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 44.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 1m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 18.4 miles on John Hanson Highway. 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 North 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 24.7 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 25.2 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 32.7 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 North 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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