Origin
Clinton, MD
Late night in Clinton on Sunday
Local time
3:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
50°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Clinton, MD to 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
46m
Distance
22.5 mi
36 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 42m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 53m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Clinton, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 22.5-mile drive from Clinton, MD, to Bethesda, MD, is estimated to take about 46 minutes, making it a perfect day trip. With a fuel cost around $4, it's an economical journey. The route primarily utilizes local roads like Branch Avenue and Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, with a small portion on Little Falls Parkway, giving it a 'turn-heavy local drive' profile. Given its relatively short distance and duration, you won't need to split this trip into overnights. It's a straightforward local transit that keeps you within the Northeast region, entirely within Maryland.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Branch Avenue | 6.5 mi | 9m |
| Massachusetts Avenue Northwest | 3.2 mi | 9m |
| Little Falls Parkway | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Marion Barry Avenue Southeast | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| Southeast Freeway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Massachusetts Avenue | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Woodyard Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Naylor Road Southeast | 0.7 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Branch Avenue
— 6.5 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Clinton, MD and Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on this road
43 ft
·
5 sec
·
this road
2
Turn right onto MD 223
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Woodyard Road
3
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
Toward MD 5 North: Washington
Use the left lane.
4
Merge onto MD 5
6.1 mi
·
8 min
·
Branch Avenue
5
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 5
0.4 mi
·
38 sec
·
Branch Avenue
6
Take the exit onto MD 637
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
MD 637
Use the left lane.
7
Enter roundabout onto MD 637
129 ft
·
2 sec
·
Naylor Road
8
Continue on MD 637
381 ft
·
13 sec
·
Naylor Road
9
Enter roundabout onto MD 637
48 ft
·
0 sec
·
Naylor Road
10
Continue on MD 637
0.3 mi
·
50 sec
·
Naylor Road
11
Turn straight
295 ft
·
10 sec
12
Turn slight right onto Naylor Road Southeast
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Naylor Road Southeast
Use the straight / left lanes.
13
Turn left onto Marion Barry Avenue Southeast
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Marion Barry Avenue Southeast
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto Martin Luther King Junior Avenue Southeast
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
Martin Luther King Junior Avenue Southeast
15
Continue on 11th Street Southeast
0.3 mi
·
51 sec
·
11th Street Southeast
16
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 695 West
Use the left lane.
17
Merge onto I 695
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Southeast Freeway
18
Continue on I 395
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Southwest Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
19
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Exit 4B-A
Toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
20
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
24 sec
Exit 4B
Toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Use the slight right lane.
21
Keep slight left at fork
513 ft
·
16 sec
Toward D Street
22
Turn right onto 12th Street Southwest
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
·
12th Street Southwest
23
Turn left onto Independence Avenue Southwest
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Independence Avenue Southwest
Use the left lane.
24
Keep slight right at fork onto 17th Street Southwest
0.3 mi
·
40 sec
·
17th Street Southwest
Use the straight / right lanes.
25
Continue on 17th Street Northwest
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
17th Street Northwest
Use the straight / left lanes.
26
Turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
0.6 mi
·
59 sec
·
Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest
27
Turn right onto 22nd Street Northwest
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
22nd Street Northwest
Use the straight / slight right / right lanes.
28
Turn left onto P Street Northwest
209 ft
·
7 sec
·
P Street Northwest
29
Turn right
521 ft
·
19 sec
30
Turn straight onto Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
·
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
31
Turn slight right
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward Massachusetts Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
32
Continue on Waterside Drive Northwest
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Waterside Drive Northwest
33
Turn left onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
2.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
34
Enter roundabout onto Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
213 ft
·
5 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
35
Continue on Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue Northwest
36
Enter roundabout onto MD 396
199 ft
·
3 sec
·
Massachusetts Avenue
37
Continue on MD 396
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Massachusetts Avenue
38
Turn right onto Little Falls Parkway
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Little Falls Parkway
Use the straight / right lanes.
39
Turn right onto Arlington Road
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Arlington Road
40
Turn left onto Bethesda Avenue
510 ft
·
22 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
41
Turn left
44 ft
·
3 sec
42
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 315 decision points cluster between mile 7.8 and 13 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
7.8 mi into trip
|
~11m in
|
MD 637 / Naylor Road
Enter roundabout onto MD 637 / Naylor Road
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
6
11 mi into trip
|
~19m in
Take the ramp toward I 695 West
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Toward I 695 West
9
12.6 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Take the exit toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4B-A
Toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12th Street Nort...
10
12.8 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight right at fork toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 4B
Toward 12th Street Northwest, Downtown
6
13 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Keep slight left at fork toward D Street
Highway fork - watch signs carefully
Toward D Street
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.73 one way
$7.46 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.09 | $8.17 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.36 | $8.73 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $4.97 | $9.94 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 7.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| Efficient EV | 5.6 | 0 | $1.97 | $0.90 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9 | 0 | $3.15 | $1.44 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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.
Destination
Bethesda, MD
Late night in Bethesda on Sunday
Local time
3:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
25 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
46m 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?
Expect a driving experience that's more about navigating local streets than open highway cruising. With only a 14% highway share, this route is characterized by frequent turns and varied road conditions. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 6.5 miles on Branch Avenue, offering a brief respite from constant adjustments. As you progress, the road transitions from the initial local roads to more urban arteries, requiring your full attention to traffic signals and intersections.
Only 14% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
42 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 6.5 mi on Branch Avenue.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
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 7.8 miles in near MD 637 / Naylor Road.
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 31 decision points packed into just 22.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7.8 miles (MD 637 / Naylor Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 11 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Clinton, MD and Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward Maine Avenue Southwest, 12Th Street Northwest and Downtown.
Maine Avenue Southwest
12.6 mi in
|
~22m
12Th Street Northwest
12.6 mi in
|
~22m
Downtown
12.6 mi in
|
~22m
About the Cities
Arriving in Bethesda, MD
Full guide →Bethesda is in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1½ miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Wealthy and well-educated, Bethesda is best known for its numerous restaurants and as the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 46m. Total distance: 22.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 6.5 miles on Branch Avenue. 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 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 7.8 miles (MD 637 / Naylor Road): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 11 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 12.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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