Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
49m
Distance
31.5 mi
51 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$5
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Crownsville, MD
Clinton Weaver
Silver Spring, MD
www.kaboompics.com
The drive from Crownsville, MD to Silver Spring, MD covers 31.5 miles and takes about 49m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Patuxent Freeway, Capital Beltway, Baltimore-Washington Parkway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mixed highway & surface. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 8.3 miles on Patuxent Freeway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.26 one way before food or hotel costs.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Patuxent Freeway | 8.3 mi | 11m |
| Capital Beltway | 4.8 mi | 5m |
| Baltimore-Washington Parkway | 4.6 mi | 6m |
| Powder Mill Road | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Laurel Fort Meade Road | 2.6 mi | 4m |
| Colesville Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Baltimore Avenue | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Generals Highway | 1 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~6,323 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~550 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 33 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Crownsville, MD and Silver Spring, MD.
Start on Lancers Trail
Turn right onto MD 178
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 97
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 32
Take the exit
Enter roundabout onto MD 198
Continue on MD 198
Enter roundabout onto MD 198
Continue on MD 198
Turn left
Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Take the exit
Turn right onto Powder Mill Road
Turn left onto US 1
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 95; I 495
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
Take the exit
Merge onto US 29
Turn left onto US 29
Continue on US 29
Turn right
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
16 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.
A short stop after about 31.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 15.7 miles from Crownsville, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 2.8 and 29.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 32 / Patuxent Freeway toward MD 32: Columbia, Bowie
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward MD 198: Fort Meade, Laurel
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward Powder Mill Road, Beltsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
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
Take the exit toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.26 one way
$10.53 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $5.79 | $11.59 |
| premium | $5.01 | $6.22 | $12.43 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $6.94 | $13.89 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$5
Estimated CO2 emission: 11 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 9.5 | 0 | $3.31 | $1.51 |
| Efficient EV | 7.9 | 0 | $2.76 | $1.26 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 12.6 | 0 | $4.41 | $2.02 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Afternoon in Crownsville on Friday
Local time
3:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Afternoon in Silver Spring on Friday
Local time
3:57 PM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Mostly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
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.
31.5 mi in 49m — 44% highway, the rest on surface roads. Biggest road: Patuxent Freeway.
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 2.8 miles in near MD 32 / Patuxent Freeway.
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 18 decision points packed into just 31.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 49m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 2.8 miles (MD 32 / Patuxent Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 11.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 19.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
363 ft
Total Descent
145 ft
Highest Point
342 ft
~35.5 mi in
Elevation Range
237 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Crownsville, MD and Silver Spring, MD, road signs point toward Bowie, Laurel, Beltsville and Baltimore.
Bowie
Laurel
Beltsville
Baltimore
Founded 1887
Silver Spring is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is considered to be an "edge city". It sits next door to Washington, DC, and had about 82,000 residents in 2018. It has redeveloped its downtown district with an outdoor shopping plaza called "Downtown Silver Spring", and is criss-crossed by four creeks that are the basis for parks offering hiking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and tennis courts.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 49m. Total distance: 31.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
49m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (44%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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