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Trip from Catonsville, MD to Prince Frederick, 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

1h 26m

Distance

59.4 mi

96 km

Drive Score

9/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$10

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 20 min
4 AM
1h 20m ★
6 AM
1h 26m
8 AM
1h 40m
10 AM
1h 31m
12 PM
1h 30m
3 PM
1h 32m
5 PM
1h 39m
8 PM
1h 22m

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

Catonsville, MD

Wikimedia Commons

town in Calvert County, Maryland, United States

Prince Frederick, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Catonsville, MD to Prince Frederick, MD is 59.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 26 minutes via MD 3 and I-97, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a mix of highway and surface roads, making it a straightforward drive suitable for a single day. The route is relatively short, offering flexibility for departure times or potential detours if you have extra time.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
MD 3 17.9 mi 26m
Southern Maryland Boulevard 10.2 mi 14m
I 97 8.9 mi 10m
North Solomons Island Road 8.5 mi 12m
Baltimore Beltway 6.4 mi 8m
Stephanie Roper Highway 3.1 mi 4m
Old Crain Highway 1.1 mi 2m
Marlboro Pike 0.8 mi 1m
Longest stretch: MD 3 — 17.9 mi, about 26m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Catonsville, MD and Prince Frederick, MD.

1

Start on this road

37 ft · 8 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto MD 144

0.4 mi · 1 min · Frederick Road
3

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie
4

Merge onto I 695

6.4 mi · 8 min · Baltimore Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 4 Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge Use the slight left lane.
6

Continue on I 97

8.9 mi · 10 min · I 97
Use the straight lane.
7

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3

18 mi · 26 min · MD 3
Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton Use the left lane.
8

Turn left onto Village Drive West

229 ft · 10 sec · Village Drive West
9

Turn right onto Old Crain Highway

1.1 mi · 2 min · Old Crain Highway
10

Continue on Marlboro Pike

0.8 mi · 1 min · Marlboro Pike
11

Turn right onto Green Landing Road

0.3 mi · 37 sec · Green Landing Road
12

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Toward MD 4 South
13

Merge onto MD 4

3.1 mi · 4 min · Stephanie Roper Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on MD 4

10 mi · 14 min · Southern Maryland Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
15

Continue on MD 2; MD 4

8.5 mi · 12 min · North Solomons Island Road
Use the straight lane.
16

Turn left onto MD 765

0.4 mi · 1 min · Main Street
17

Turn left

199 ft · 19 sec
18

Turn left

160 ft · 11 sec
19

Arrive at destination

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

Bowie, MD

30 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

Glen Burnie, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Bowie, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 29.7 miles from Catonsville, 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 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.7 and 37.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.7 mi into trip | ~1m in | I 695 / Baltimore Beltway

Merge onto I 695 / Baltimore Beltway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
7.1 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the exit toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge

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

Use the slight left lane. Exit 4 Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
8
16.8 mi into trip | ~21m in | MD 3

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3 toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton

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

Use the left lane. Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton
6
36.9 mi into trip | ~53m in

Take the ramp toward MD 4 South

Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch

Toward MD 4 South
5
37.2 mi into trip | ~53m in | MD 4 / Stephanie Roper Highway

Merge onto MD 4 / Stephanie Roper Highway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.85 one way

$19.70 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 21 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $10.79 $21.57
premium $4.93 $11.52 $23.04
diesel $5.61 $13.11 $26.23

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$10

Estimated CO2 emission: 20.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 17.8 0 $6.24 $2.85
Efficient EV 14.9 0 $5.20 $2.38
EV Truck/SUV 23.8 0 $8.32 $3.80

Gas CO2

21 kg

EV CO2

7 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

Catonsville, MD

Morning in Catonsville on Tuesday

Local time

8:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Scattered Rain Showers

W 5 to 8 mph 4% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 11:35PM EDT until April 21 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 11:35PM EDT until April 21 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Destination

Prince Frederick, MD

Morning in Prince Frederick on Tuesday

Local time

8:52 AM

EDT

Current temp

41°F

Scattered Rain Showers

SW 5 to 8 mph 2% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 11:35PM EDT until April 21 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 19 at 11:35PM EDT until April 21 at 10:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

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 cooler at arrival

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

Road read

1h 26m 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?

About 45% of this drive is on highways. You'll encounter a continuous stretch of 17.9 miles on MD 3 before transitioning to other roads. The profile is mixed highway and surface, meaning you'll experience both faster-paced driving and more local road conditions. Be prepared for varying speed limits and potentially more intersections as you move between these road types.

45% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 17.9 mi on MD 3.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 0.7 miles in near I 695 / Baltimore Beltway.

Driving Effort 7/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 59.4 miles you will encounter 13 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 0.7 miles (I 695 / Baltimore Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.8 miles (MD 3): 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.

On the drive from Catonsville, MD to Prince Frederick, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Crofton along the way.

Crofton

16.8 mi in | ~21m | via MD 3

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 26m. Total distance: 59.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 26m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (45%). 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 17.9 miles on MD 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Prince Frederick, 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 0.7 miles (I 695 / Baltimore Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 7.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 16.8 miles (MD 3): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park and 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 Prince Frederick, 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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