Origin
Columbia, MD
Morning in Columbia on Tuesday
Local time
8:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Columbia, MD to South Gate, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
30m
Distance
17.8 mi
29 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 30m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 32m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 32m
5 PM
0h 35m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Columbia, MD
Wikimedia Commons
South Gate, MD
Robert So
Trip Overview
Columbia, MD to South Gate, MD is 17.8 miles and takes about 30m via MD 100 and I 97, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within the Northeast region, entirely within Maryland. The route is mostly highway, making for a quick commute or a convenient way to connect two points without much fuss. It's a straightforward drive, ideal if you need to get from point A to point B efficiently.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MD 100 | 10.9 mi | 14m |
| Old Annapolis Road | 2 mi | 3m |
| I 97 | 1 mi | 1m |
| Crain Highway | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Phirne Road | 0.7 mi | 2m |
| Clarksville Pike | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Nolfield Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
MD 100
— 10.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Columbia, MD and South Gate, 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
11 mi
·
14 min
·
MD 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
34 sec
Exit 13A-B
Toward I 97: Annapolis, Baltimore
Use the slight right lane.
8
Keep slight right at fork
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 13A
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
Use the slight right lane.
9
Merge onto I 97
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
I 97
10
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Exit 12
Toward MD 3 Business: Glen Burnie, New Cut Road
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight left at fork
245 ft
·
7 sec
Toward MD 3 Business: Glen Burnie, Veterans Highway
12
Turn left onto MD 3 Business
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Crain Highway
13
Turn right onto Phirne Road
0.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Phirne Road
14
Turn left onto Nolfield Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Nolfield Drive
15
Arrive at destination
Nolfield Drive
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 16 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
Depart toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Exit 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Searc...
8
13.9 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward I 97: Annapolis, Baltimore
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 13A-B
Toward I 97: Annapolis, Baltimore
9
14.1 mi into trip
|
~21m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 13A
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
8
15.6 mi into trip
|
~23m in
Take the exit toward MD 3 Business: Glen Burnie, New Cut Road
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 12
Toward MD 3 Business: Glen Burnie, New Cut Road
6
16 mi into trip
|
~24m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 3 Business: Glen Burnie, Veterans Highway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MD 3 Business: Glen Burnie, Veterans Hig...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.95 one way
$5.90 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.23 | $6.46 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.45 | $6.90 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.93 | $7.86 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 6.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5.3 | 0 | $1.87 | $0.85 |
| Efficient EV | 4.5 | 0 | $1.56 | $0.71 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.49 | $1.14 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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.
Destination
South Gate, MD
Morning in South Gate on Tuesday
Local time
8:24 AM
EDT
Current temp
49°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
15 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
30m 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 mostly highway, with 67% of it on major roads like MD 100 and I 97. You'll experience the longest continuous stretch on MD 100 for 10.9 miles. Expect a highway feel for most of the 17.8 miles, transitioning to surface roads as you approach South Gate. The dense network of exits and merges typical of highway driving will be noticeable.
67% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on MD 100.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on MD 100 and Old Annapolis Road. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 10 decision points packed into just 17.8 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 30m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.1 miles: 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Columbia, MD and South Gate, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore and Veterans Highway.
Baltimore
13.9 mi in
|
~20m
Veterans Highway
16 mi in
|
~24m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 30m. Total distance: 17.8 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
30m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (67%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on MD 100. 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 South Gate, 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: near the start: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 13.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 14.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 South Gate, 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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