Origin
Crofton, MD
Late night in Crofton on Sunday
Local time
3:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Crofton, MD to Bethesda, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
46m
Distance
30.1 mi
48 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 46m
8 AM
0h 54m
10 AM
0h 49m
12 PM
0h 48m
3 PM
0h 49m
5 PM
0h 54m
8 PM
0h 44m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Crofton, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 30.1-mile drive from Crofton, MD to Bethesda, MD is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 46 minutes. It's a perfect candidate for a day trip, with a modest estimated fuel cost of $5. You'll primarily navigate via the Capital Beltway and John Hanson Highway, experiencing a fairly direct path between these two Northeast Maryland locations. The route is characterized as a turn-heavy local drive, suggesting you'll encounter frequent intersections and traffic lights rather than long stretches of open highway. Given its brevity and the nature of the roads, you won't need to worry about overnight stops; just plan for potential local traffic delays.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 14.3 mi | 18m |
| John Hanson Highway | 6.7 mi | 7m |
| North West Crain Highway | 2.1 mi | 3m |
| Jones Bridge Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Wisconsin Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Urby Drive | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Connecticut Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Defense Highway | 0.3 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 14.3 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Crofton, MD and Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on Stratton Road
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Stratton Road
2
At end of road, turn left onto Spring Green Avenue
0.2 mi
·
51 sec
·
Spring Green Avenue
3
At end of road, turn left onto Crofton Parkway
0.1 mi
·
19 sec
·
Crofton Parkway
4
Turn right onto Urby Drive
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Urby Drive
5
Turn left onto Good Hope Drive
0.1 mi
·
21 sec
·
Good Hope Drive
6
Turn right onto MD 450
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
·
Defense Highway
7
Merge onto MD 3; MD 450
0.2 mi
·
19 sec
·
Robert Crain Highway
8
Continue on MD 3; MD 450
2.1 mi
·
3 min
·
North West Crain Highway
Use the straight / right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward US 50 West: Washington
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Merge onto US 50
6.7 mi
·
7 min
·
John Hanson Highway
11
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
57 sec
Exit 7B
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Silver Spring
12
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
1 min
Exit 7B
Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
Use the slight left lane.
13
Merge onto I 95; I 495
6.9 mi
·
8 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
7.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 33
Toward MD 185: Kensington, Chevy Chase
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
16
Keep slight left at fork
246 ft
·
8 sec
Toward MD 185 South: Connecticut Avenue South, Chevy Chase
Use the left lane.
17
Turn left onto MD 185
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Connecticut Avenue
Use the right lane.
18
Turn right onto Jones Bridge Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Jones Bridge Road
Use the right lane.
19
Turn left onto MD 355
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Rockville Pike
Use the left / straight lanes.
20
Continue on MD 355
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Wisconsin Avenue
21
Turn right onto Commerce Lane
340 ft
·
17 sec
·
Commerce Lane
22
Continue on Edgemoor Lane
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Edgemoor Lane
23
Turn left onto Arlington Road
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Arlington Road
24
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
510 ft
·
22 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
25
Turn left
44 ft
·
3 sec
26
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
15 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 30 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 15 miles from Crofton, 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 215 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 27 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
Crofton Parkway
At end of road, turn left onto Crofton Parkway
Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch
9
11.7 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Keep slight left at fork toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight left lane.
Exit 7B
Toward I 495 North, I 95 North: Beltway
8
19.2 mi into trip
|
~28m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
8
26.6 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Take the exit toward MD 185: Kensington, Chevy Chase
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 33
Toward MD 185: Kensington, Chevy Chase
8
27 mi into trip
|
~38m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 185 South: Connecticut Avenue South, Chevy Chase
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward MD 185 South: Connecticut Avenue South,...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.99 one way
$9.98 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
11 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $5.47 | $10.93 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.84 | $11.68 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $6.65 | $13.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 10.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9 | 0 | $3.16 | $1.44 |
| Efficient EV | 7.5 | 0 | $2.63 | $1.20 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12 | 0 | $4.21 | $1.93 |
Gas CO2
11 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (64% 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
Bethesda, MD
Late night in Bethesda on Sunday
Local time
3:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°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
2 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
46m 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?
Expect a dynamic driving experience on this route, which is described as a 'turn-heavy local drive' with a 0% highway share. While there are no major highways dominating the journey, you will encounter a significant stretch of 14.3 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a taste of faster travel before rejoining local roads. The road character will likely shift between suburban arteries and more urbanized streets as you progress towards Bethesda. Be prepared for numerous turns and potentially navigating through various traffic patterns common to such a route.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
26 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.3 mi on Capital Beltway.
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 0.5 miles in near Crofton Parkway.
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 21 decision points packed into just 30.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 46m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (Crofton Parkway): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 11.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): 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 Crofton, MD and Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring and Chevy Chase.
Silver Spring
11.3 mi in
|
~17m
Chevy Chase
26.6 mi in
|
~38m
About the Cities
Arriving in Bethesda, MD
Full guide →Bethesda is in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1½ miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Wealthy and well-educated, Bethesda is best known for its numerous restaurants and as the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.
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 46m. Total distance: 30.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
46m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.3 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Bethesda, 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 0.5 miles (Crofton Parkway): Complex interchange - multiple decisions in a short stretch; at 11.7 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.2 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Bethesda, 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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