Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
43m
Distance
28 mi
45 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
City of Baltimore, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bel Air, MD
Captured Hal ⁰
Baltimore, MD to Bel Air, MD is 28 miles and takes about 43 minutes via Express Toll Lanes, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, and Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region and the state of Maryland, making it a convenient local excursion. Given the minimal driving time and distance, it's ideal for a quick day trip or an easy commute. The route is primarily surface roads, so expect a straightforward drive without extensive highway cruising. It's a simple option for connecting these two Maryland locations.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Express Toll Lanes | 8.5 mi | 9m |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 7.3 mi | 8m |
| Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway | 5.3 mi | 7m |
| East Baltimore Street | 2.8 mi | 8m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| East Lombard Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Baltimore Pike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Marketplace Drive | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Step-by-step road directions between City of Baltimore, MD and Bel Air, MD.
Start on East Fayette Street
Turn left onto MD 2
Turn left onto East Baltimore Street
At end of road, turn right onto MD 150
Turn left onto MD 150
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 895
Keep slight left at fork onto I 895
Keep slight right at fork
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto MD 24
Turn right onto Marketplace Drive
Continue on South Atwood Road
Turn right onto US 1 Business
Continue on US 1 Business
Turn left onto US 1 Business; MD 924
Turn right onto Courtland Place
Arrive at destination
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 27.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto MD 2 / Saint Paul Street
Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto East Baltimore Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 24: Bel Air, Edgewood
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 24 North: Bel Air
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto US 1 Business; MD 924 / South Main Street
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$4.68 one way
$9.36 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $5.15 | $10.30 |
| premium | $5.01 | $5.53 | $11.05 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.17 | $12.34 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.09
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Tolls
$0
Total
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 70% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.4 | 0 | $2.94 | $1.34 |
| Efficient EV | 7 | 0 | $2.45 | $1.12 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.2 | 0 | $3.92 | $1.79 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in City of Baltimore on Saturday
Local time
12:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
94°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Late night in Bel Air on Saturday
Local time
12:26 AM
EDT
Current temp
91°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
This drive is mostly surface roads, with 0% highway share. You'll encounter your longest continuous stretch of highway for 8.5 miles on the Express Toll Lanes before transitioning to local roads. Expect a pattern of dense exits as you navigate through populated areas. The transition from highway to surface roads will require your attention as the driving environment changes.
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 0.1 miles in near MD 2 / Saint Paul Street.
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 28 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 43m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (MD 2 / Saint Paul Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 0.2 miles (East Baltimore Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 21.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
472 ft
Total Descent
122 ft
Highest Point
386 ft
~28 mi in
Elevation Range
350 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from City of Baltimore, MD to Bel Air, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Edgewood along the way.
Edgewood
“Bodymore, Murderland” · Founded 1729
Slices of American history are around every corner in Baltimore. Maryland's largest city is a gritty old seaport town that's perhaps most famous as the site of Fort McHenry, where, at the height of the War of 1812, the sight of a tattered but defiant American flag flying over the harbor, despite a furious British bombardment, inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that was later adapted into the U.S. national anthem "Star-Spangled Banner". Nowadays, Baltimore's nonstop nightlife, temperate climate, tradition of hospitality (they don't call this place "Charm City" for nothing), and cultural attractions — not to mention its prime location on the juncture of Chesapeake Bay — made it one of the major tourist destinations of the Mid-Atlantic region.
Top landmarks
Founded 1782
Bel Air , along with Bel Air North and South, is a Central Maryland suburb of Baltimore, with a combined population of 75,000.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 43m. Total distance: 28 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
43m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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