Origin
Cottage City, MD
Afternoon in Cottage City on Sunday
Local time
12:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
78°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Cottage City, MD to Gaithersburg, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
42m
Distance
25.2 mi
41 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 39m
★
6 AM
0h 43m
8 AM
0h 50m
10 AM
0h 45m
12 PM
0h 45m
3 PM
0h 46m
5 PM
0h 50m
8 PM
0h 41m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Cottage City, MD
Efrem Efre
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Trip Overview
Cottage City, MD to Gaithersburg, MD is 25.2 miles and takes about 42 minutes via I 270, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region towards the Northeast region. Expect a mixed driving experience that's mostly highway but includes some surface streets. It's a straightforward, short trip perfect for a quick commute or an easy travel day, with no overnight stay required. Consider this a simple hop between two points in the same general area.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 10.9 mi | 14m |
| Capital Beltway | 6 mi | 7m |
| University Boulevard East | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| Ager Road | 1.2 mi | 2m |
| 38th Street | 1.2 mi | 3m |
| Riggs Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Hamilton Street | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| West Diamond Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 10.9 mi, about 14m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Cottage City, MD and Gaithersburg, MD.
1
Start on Parkwood Street
0.2 mi
·
54 sec
·
Parkwood Street
2
Turn right onto MD 208
362 ft
·
7 sec
·
38th Avenue
3
Continue on MD 208
1.2 mi
·
3 min
·
38th Street
4
Turn left onto MD 208
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Hamilton Street
5
Turn right onto Ager Road
1.2 mi
·
2 min
·
Ager Road
6
Turn straight onto MD 410
0.1 mi
·
15 sec
·
East-West Highway
7
Turn right onto MD 212
0.8 mi
·
1 min
·
Riggs Road
8
Turn left onto MD 193
2.7 mi
·
6 min
·
University Boulevard East
Use the left lane.
9
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
21 sec
Toward I 495 West: Northern Virginia
Use the straight / right lanes.
10
Merge onto I 495
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
3.6 mi
·
4 min
·
I 270
Exit 35
Toward I 270 North: Frederick
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270
7.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I 270
Toward I 270 North
Use the slight right lane.
13
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward MD 117, MD 124 South: Clopper Road, West Diamond Avenue, Quince Orchard Road
14
Turn left onto MD 117
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
West Diamond Avenue
15
Turn left onto Meem Avenue
0.1 mi
·
29 sec
·
Meem Avenue
16
Turn right onto Chestnut Street
0.2 mi
·
35 sec
·
Chestnut Street
17
Turn right onto MD 355
251 ft
·
6 sec
·
North Frederick Avenue
18
Turn right
85 ft
·
6 sec
19
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 7 and 24.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
7 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 West: Northern Virginia
Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
Toward I 495 West: Northern Virginia
5
7.2 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge onto I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
13.2 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
I 270
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North: Frederick
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 35
Toward I 270 North: Frederick
7
16.7 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
I 270
Keep slight right at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 North
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 270 North
5
24.1 mi into trip
|
~39m in
Take the exit toward MD 117, MD 124 South: Clopper Road, West Diamond Avenue, Quince Orchard Road
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MD 117, MD 124 South: Clopper Road, West...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.18 one way
$8.36 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.58 | $9.15 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.89 | $9.77 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.56 | $11.13 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.6 | 0 | $2.65 | $1.21 |
| Efficient EV | 6.3 | 0 | $2.20 | $1.01 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.53 | $1.61 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Gaithersburg, MD
Afternoon in Gaithersburg on Sunday
Local time
12:04 PM
EDT
Current temp
73°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
42m 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 trip features a mixed drive with 43% highway, meaning you'll spend a good portion of your 42 minutes on faster roads. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 10.9 miles on I 270, offering a chance to settle in for a bit. Beyond that, you'll navigate segments on Capital Beltway and University Boulevard East, which may involve more local traffic and varied speed limits. The character shifts from interstate cruising to more urban surface street driving as you approach your destination.
43% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.9 mi on I 270.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 7 miles in.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 25.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 42m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 7 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.2 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 42m. Total distance: 25.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
42m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (43%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.9 miles on I 270. 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 Gaithersburg, 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 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 7.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 13.2 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Gaithersburg, 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.
Was this helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!
/500
Recent Tips
·
Explore More
Continue From Gaithersburg, MD
More from Cottage City, MD
More trips to Gaithersburg, MD
Explore more options from Cottage City, MD or browse trips ending in Gaithersburg, MD.
Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.