Origin
Columbia, MD
Afternoon in Columbia on Wednesday
Local time
3:28 PM
EDT
Current temp
61°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, MD to Bladensburg, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
40m
Distance
29.1 mi
47 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 37m
★
6 AM
0h 40m
8 AM
0h 47m
10 AM
0h 43m
12 PM
0h 42m
3 PM
0h 43m
5 PM
0h 47m
8 PM
0h 38m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbia, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bladensburg, MD
dekik saad
Trip Overview
The drive from Columbia, MD to Bladensburg, MD covers 29.1 miles and takes about 40m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on I 95, Columbia Pike, Baltimore-Washington Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly highway. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 15.5 miles on I 95. At current regular gas prices, budget about $4.86 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 95 | 15.5 mi | 18m |
| Columbia Pike | 4.2 mi | 5m |
| Baltimore-Washington Parkway | 3.5 mi | 4m |
| Patuxent Freeway | 2.4 mi | 3m |
| Annapolis Road | 1 mi | 1m |
| Clarksville Pike | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Quincy Place | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 95
— 15.5 mi, about 18m
Traffic on I-95
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
2 PM
~6,164 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~629 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.8×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MD and Bladensburg, MD.
1
Start on this road
404 ft
·
9 sec
·
this road
Exit 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
2
Turn straight onto MD 108
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Clarksville Pike
3
Continue on MD 108
0.1 mi
·
26 sec
·
Clarksville Pike
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
51 sec
Toward US 29 South: Columbia, Town Center
5
Merge onto US 29
4.2 mi
·
5 min
·
Columbia Pike
6
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
1 min
Exit 16A
Toward MD 32 East: Fort Meade
Use the right lane.
7
Keep slight left at fork
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
Toward Shaker Drive, Eden Brook Drive
8
Merge onto MD 32
2.4 mi
·
3 min
·
Patuxent Freeway
9
Take the exit
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 13B
Toward I 95 South: Washington
Use the slight right lane.
10
Merge onto I 95
15 mi
·
18 min
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
59 sec
Exit 22B
Toward South Washington
Use the slight right lane.
12
Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway
3.5 mi
·
4 min
·
Baltimore-Washington Parkway
13
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward MD 450: Annapolis, Bladensburg
Use the slight right lane.
14
Keep slight right at fork
299 ft
·
7 sec
Toward MD 450: Bladensburg
15
Turn straight onto MD 450
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Annapolis Road
16
Turn left onto Quincy Place
46 ft
·
5 sec
·
Quincy Place
17
Turn right
34 ft
·
2 sec
18
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 5 and 27.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
5 mi into trip
|
~7m in
Take the exit toward MD 32 East: Fort Meade
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 16A
Toward MD 32 East: Fort Meade
6
5.4 mi into trip
|
~8m in
Keep slight left at fork toward Shaker Drive, Eden Brook Drive
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward Shaker Drive, Eden Brook Drive
7
7.8 mi into trip
|
~12m in
Take the exit toward I 95 South: Washington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13B
Toward I 95 South: Washington
7
23.9 mi into trip
|
~32m in
Take the exit toward South Washington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 22B
Toward South Washington
7
27.9 mi into trip
|
~37m in
Take the exit toward MD 450: Annapolis, Bladensburg
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward MD 450: Annapolis, Bladensburg
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.86 one way
$9.72 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
10 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $5.35 | $10.70 |
| premium | $5.01 | $5.74 | $11.48 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.41 | $12.83 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.2 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 | 8.7 | 0 | $3.06 | $1.40 |
| Efficient EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.16 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 11.6 | 0 | $4.07 | $1.86 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Bladensburg, MD
Afternoon in Bladensburg on Wednesday
Local time
3:28 PM
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
3 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
40m 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?
29.1 mi in 40m, mostly highway — 15.5 mi of that is on I 95.
73% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.5 mi on I 95.
How Hard Is This Drive?
10/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 95 and Columbia Pike. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 5 miles in.
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 29.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 40m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
407 ft
51 ft
Total Climb
196 ft
Total Descent
551 ft
Highest Point
407 ft
Elevation Range
356 ft
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.
On the drive from Columbia, MD to Bladensburg, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Washington along the way.
Washington
23.9 mi in
|
~32m
About the Cities
Starting in Columbia, MD
Full guide →Founded 1967
Columbia is a planned city in Howard County, Central Maryland. It differs strongly from most notions of what constitutes a "city," as the planner divided the densely populated, but decidedly suburban in character, city into ten "villages," each of which are divided into several neighborhoods, leaving the city with a less obvious center.
Arriving in Bladensburg, MD
Full guide →Founded 1742
Top landmarks
- • Bostwick — historic home located at Bladensburg
- • George Washington House — historic building in Bladensburg, Maryland, United States
- • Peace Cross — war memorial in Bladensburg, Maryland, United States
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 40m. Total distance: 29.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
40m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (73%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 15.5 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 Bladensburg, 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 5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.4 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 7.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bladensburg, 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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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