Origin
Columbia, MD
Late night in Columbia on Sunday
Local time
12:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, MD to North East, 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 23m
Distance
65.4 mi
105 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$11
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
1h 17m
★
6 AM
1h 24m
8 AM
1h 36m
10 AM
1h 28m
12 PM
1h 27m
3 PM
1h 29m
5 PM
1h 36m
8 PM
1h 20m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbia, MD
Wikimedia Commons
North East, MD
Kelly
Trip Overview
Columbia, MD to North East, MD is 65.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 23 minutes via John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $11 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. The route primarily uses toll roads for a good portion of the drive. Given its short duration and manageable distance, this trip is well-suited for a same-day excursion.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 30.7 mi | 35m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 11.6 mi | 15m |
| Express Toll Lanes | 8.5 mi | 9m |
| MD 100 | 3.2 mi | 4m |
| I 95 | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Old Annapolis Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| North East Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
— 30.7 mi, about 35m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MD and North East, 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
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Clarksville Pike
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Turn straight onto MD 108
2.0 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Annapolis Road
5
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward MD 100 East
6
Merge onto MD 100
3.2 mi
·
4 min
·
MD 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
Exit 5B
Toward I 95 North: Baltimore
Use the slight right lane.
8
Merge onto I 95
2.9 mi
·
3 min
·
I 95
9
Take the exit onto I 895
5.7 mi
·
6 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Exit 46
Toward I 895 North: Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the slight right lane.
10
Continue on I 895
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
11
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
13
Continue on I 895
3.7 mi
·
5 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 895
8.5 mi
·
9 min
·
Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
15
Keep slight right at fork
297 ft
·
3 sec
16
Merge onto I 95
31 mi
·
35 min
·
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 100
Toward MD 272: North East, Rising Sun
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
26 sec
Toward MD 272 South: North East
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
19
Turn straight onto MD 272
1.5 mi
·
2 min
·
North East Road
Use the left lane.
20
Continue on MD 272
0.4 mi
·
46 sec
·
North Mauldin Avenue
Use the left lane.
21
Continue on MD 272
0.3 mi
·
38 sec
·
North Main Street
22
Turn left onto West Street
391 ft
·
24 sec
·
West Street
23
Turn left onto MD 272
145 ft
·
2 sec
·
South Mauldin Avenue
24
Arrive at destination
MD 272
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
33 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 14 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 32.7 miles from Columbia, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 6.1 and 62.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
7
6.1 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the exit toward I 95 North: Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 5B
Toward I 95 North: Baltimore
7
9.3 mi into trip
|
~14m in
|
I 895 / Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Take the exit onto I 895 / Harbor Tunnel Thruway toward I 895 North: Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 46
Toward I 895 North: Baltimore Harbor Tunnel Thr...
6
23.3 mi into trip
|
~32m in
|
I 895 / Express Toll Lanes
Keep slight left at fork onto I 895 / Express Toll Lanes
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
8
62.6 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Take the exit toward MD 272: North East, Rising Sun
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 100
Toward MD 272: North East, Rising Sun
8
62.9 mi into trip
|
~1h 18m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 272 South: North East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
Toward MD 272 South: North East
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$10.84 one way
$21.68 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
23 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $11.87 | $23.75 |
| premium | $4.93 | $12.68 | $25.37 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $14.44 | $28.88 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.81
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(11.6 mi)
$0.81
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$11
Tolls
$1
Total
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 22.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $7 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 19.6 | 0 | $6.87 | $3.14 |
| Efficient EV | 16.4 | 0 | $5.72 | $2.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 26.2 | 0 | $9.16 | $4.19 |
Gas CO2
23 kg
EV CO2
8 kg (65% 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
North East, MD
Late night in North East on Sunday
Local time
12:20 AM
EDT
Current temp
70°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
5 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 23m 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?
This drive is predominantly on surface roads, with only about 9% of the total distance on highways like the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, Harbor Tunnel Thruway, and Express Toll Lanes. You'll experience a longest stretch of 30.7 miles on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. Expect to encounter more frequent exits and traffic signals as you transition from highway sections to surface roads.
Only 9% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 30.7 mi on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway.
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 6.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
10/10
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 65.4 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 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (I 895 / Harbor Tunnel Thruway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.3 miles (I 895 / Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 23m. Total distance: 65.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 23m 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 30.7 miles on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.81 in tolls one way, starting with Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
Yes — we found about 6 rest areas or service plazas 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 North East, 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 6.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 9.3 miles (I 895 / Harbor Tunnel Thruway): Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.3 miles (I 895 / Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — 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 North East, 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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