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Trip from Cottage City, MD to Gwynn Oak, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

57m

Distance

35.5 mi

57 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 53m ★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 7m
10 AM
1h 1m
12 PM
1h 0m
3 PM
1h 1m
5 PM
1h 6m
8 PM
0h 54m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Cottage City, MD, MD

Cottage City, MD

Efrem Efre

Downtown Gwynn Oak, MD, MD

Gwynn Oak, MD

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Trip Overview

Cottage City, MD to Gwynn Oak, MD is 35.5 miles and takes about 57 minutes via Baltimore-Washington Parkway, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, traversing the Northeast region for its entirety. Given its short duration and highway-focused profile, this route is ideal for a quick, straightforward journey. You'll spend most of your time on major parkways and boulevards, making it a practical choice for a day trip or a short hop between these two Maryland locations. Consider this an efficient way to cover ground without much fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Baltimore-Washington Parkway 22 mi 30m
Metropolitan Boulevard 3.7 mi 4m
Ingleside Avenue 2.7 mi 5m
Annapolis Road 1.4 mi 2m
North Forest Park Avenue 1.4 mi 3m
MD 166 1.1 mi 2m
Bloomsbury Avenue 1 mi 2m
Hillsdale Road 0.9 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Baltimore-Washington Parkway — 22 mi, about 30m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Cottage City, MD and Gwynn Oak, MD.

1

Start on Parkwood Street

127 ft · 5 sec · Parkwood Street
2

Turn right onto Bunker Hill Road

141 ft · 6 sec · Bunker Hill Road
3

Turn right onto 42nd Avenue

0.1 mi · 36 sec · 42nd Avenue
4

Turn left onto US 1 ALT

0.3 mi · 31 sec · Bladensburg Road
5

Continue on MD 450

0.1 mi · 13 sec · Bladensburg Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Continue on MD 450

0.8 mi · 1 min · Annapolis Road
7

Turn slight left onto MD 450

0.7 mi · 1 min · Annapolis Road
Use the slight left lane.
8

Turn left

0.2 mi · 26 sec
Toward MD 295: Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore Use the left lane.
9

Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway

22 mi · 30 min · Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 37 sec
Toward I 195 West: Catonsville Use the slight right lane.
11

Merge onto I 195

3.7 mi · 4 min · Metropolitan Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
12

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 166

1.1 mi · 2 min · MD 166
Toward MD 166: Catonsville, Community College of Baltimore County Use the slight right lane.
13

Turn right onto Bloomsbury Avenue

1.0 mi · 2 min · Bloomsbury Avenue
14

Continue on Ingleside Avenue

2.7 mi · 5 min · Ingleside Avenue
Use the straight lane.
15

Continue on North Forest Park Avenue

1.4 mi · 3 min · North Forest Park Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
16

Turn slight left onto Hillsdale Road

0.9 mi · 2 min · Hillsdale Road
17

Turn right onto Haddon Avenue

178 ft · 11 sec · Haddon Avenue
18

Turn left

60 ft · 4 sec
19

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Catonsville, MD

18 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

Pikesville, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Maryland City, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.7 miles from Cottage City, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 28.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | US 1 ALT / Bladensburg Road

Turn left onto US 1 ALT / Bladensburg Road

Navigation decision point

8
2 mi into trip | ~4m in

Turn left toward MD 295: Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Baltimore

Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward MD 295: Baltimore-Washington Internation...
5
2.2 mi into trip | ~4m in | Baltimore-Washington Parkway

Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway

Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
24.3 mi into trip | ~34m in

Take the exit toward I 195 West: Catonsville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 195 West: Catonsville
8
28.3 mi into trip | ~39m in | MD 166

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 166 toward MD 166: Catonsville, Community College of Baltimore County

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward MD 166: Catonsville, Community College o...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.89 one way

$11.77 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.45 $12.89
premium $4.93 $6.88 $13.77
diesel $5.61 $7.84 $15.68

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.7 0 $3.73 $1.70
Efficient EV 8.9 0 $3.11 $1.42
EV Truck/SUV 14.2 0 $4.97 $2.27

Gas CO2

12 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Cottage City, MD

Morning in Cottage City on Sunday

Local time

10:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

78°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Gwynn Oak, MD

Morning in Gwynn Oak on Sunday

Local time

10:47 AM

EDT

Current temp

91°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 8 to 12 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:45AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 3:33AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

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

13 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

57m on the road

The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive leans heavily into its highway-focused profile, with 65% of the journey utilizing major roadways. You'll experience a significant stretch of 22 miles on the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, offering a consistent pace. The route begins on Metropolitan Boulevard before merging onto the parkway, providing a clear path. While primarily highway, the transition onto Ingleside Avenue as you approach Gwynn Oak suggests a shift towards more local roads, though the overall character remains geared towards efficient travel. Expect mostly smooth sailing on well-maintained parkways and boulevards.

65% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 22 mi on Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Baltimore-Washington Parkway and Metropolitan Boulevard. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 0.2 miles in near US 1 ALT / Bladensburg Road.

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 12 decision points packed into just 35.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (US 1 ALT / Bladensburg Road): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.2 miles (Baltimore-Washington Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.

Between Cottage City, MD and Gwynn Oak, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore and Community College Of Baltimore County.

Baltimore

2 mi in | ~4m

Community College Of Baltimore County

28.3 mi in | ~39m | via MD 166

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 35.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

57m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (65%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 22 miles on Baltimore-Washington Parkway. 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 Gwynn Oak, 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 0.2 miles (US 1 ALT / Bladensburg Road): Navigation decision point; at 2 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 2.2 miles (Baltimore-Washington Parkway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Gwynn Oak, 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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