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Trip from District Heights, MD to Bowie, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

24m

Distance

14.9 mi

24 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$2

one way

EV Charging

Fair

4 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 6 min
4 AM
0h 23m ★
6 AM
0h 25m
8 AM
0h 29m
10 AM
0h 26m
12 PM
0h 26m
3 PM
0h 26m
5 PM
0h 29m
8 PM
0h 23m ★

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 District Heights, MD, MD

District Heights, MD

Kelly

city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Bowie, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This short 14.9-mile drive from District Heights, MD to Bowie, MD is easily manageable in about 24 minutes, making it a perfect single-day trip. With a modest fuel cost estimate of $2, this route is budget-friendly. You'll primarily navigate via John Hanson Highway, Martin Luther King Jr. Highway, and Addison Road South, experiencing a local feel with several turns. Since it's such a quick journey, you won't need an overnight stay. This drive stays within the Northeast region of Maryland, so you're not crossing any state or major regional lines.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John Hanson Highway 4.9 mi 5m
Martin Luther King Jr. Highway 4.6 mi 7m
Addison Road South 2.3 mi 4m
Collington Road 0.8 mi 1m
Rochell Avenue 0.4 mi 1m
District Heights Parkway 0.3 mi <1m
Walker Mill Road 0.2 mi <1m
Evergreen Parkway 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: John Hanson Highway — 4.9 mi, about 5m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between District Heights, MD and Bowie, MD.

1

Start on Gateway Boulevard

111 ft · 4 sec · Gateway Boulevard
2

Turn right onto Breton Drive

0.2 mi · 41 sec · Breton Drive
3

Enter roundabout onto District Heights Parkway

181 ft · 6 sec · District Heights Parkway
4

Continue on District Heights Parkway

0.2 mi · 31 sec · District Heights Parkway
5

Turn right onto Rochell Avenue

0.4 mi · 1 min · Rochell Avenue
6

Turn right onto Walker Mill Road

0.2 mi · 16 sec · Walker Mill Road
7

Keep slight left at fork onto Addison Road South

2.3 mi · 4 min · Addison Road South
8

Turn right onto MD 704

4.6 mi · 7 min · Martin Luther King Jr. Highway
Use the left / right lanes.
9

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
10

Merge onto US 50

4.9 mi · 5 min · John Hanson Highway
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
11

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Exit 11 Toward MD 197: Bowie Use the slight right lane.
12

Keep slight right at fork

273 ft · 6 sec
Toward MD 197 Use the left / right lanes.
13

Turn straight onto MD 197

0.8 mi · 1 min · Collington Road
Use the left lane.
14

Turn right onto Evergreen Parkway

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Evergreen Parkway
15

Turn right

259 ft · 20 sec
16

Turn left

110 ft · 8 sec
17

Arrive at destination

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.2 and 14.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.2 mi into trip | ~0m in | District Heights Parkway

Enter roundabout onto District Heights Parkway

Roundabout - know your exit number before entering

6
3.3 mi into trip | ~7m in | MD 704 / Martin Luther King Jr. Highway

Turn right onto MD 704 / Martin Luther King Jr. Highway

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes.
7
13.4 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the exit toward MD 197: Bowie

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 11 Toward MD 197: Bowie
7
13.8 mi into trip | ~21m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 197

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes. Toward MD 197
5
14.8 mi into trip | ~24m in

Turn right

Navigation decision point

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$2.47 one way

$4.94 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 5 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $2.71 $5.41
premium $4.93 $2.89 $5.78
diesel $5.61 $3.29 $6.58

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$2

Estimated CO2 emission: 5.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 60% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 4.5 0 $1.56 $0.72
Efficient EV 3.7 0 $1.30 $0.60
EV Truck/SUV 6 0 $2.09 $0.95

Gas CO2

5 kg

EV CO2

2 kg (60% 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 20, 2026

Origin

District Heights, MD

Morning in District Heights on Tuesday

Local time

8:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Chance Rain Showers

SW 9 mph 8% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:47AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:25AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Bowie, MD

Morning in Bowie on Tuesday

Local time

8:13 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°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

23 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

24m 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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive on this route, with a highway share of about 3%. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 4.9 miles on John Hanson Highway. While there are some highway segments, the overall character is one of navigating through local areas, requiring attention to turns and road changes. It's not a monotonous interstate grind but rather a more engaged driving experience as you transition between main roads and local streets.

Only 3% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 4.9 mi on John Hanson Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 0.2 miles in near District Heights Parkway.

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 14.9 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 24m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.2 miles (District Heights Parkway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 3.3 miles (MD 704 / Martin Luther King Jr. Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

About the Cities

Arriving in Bowie, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1882

Bowie is a suburban bedroom community of Washington, D.C. in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Top landmarks

  • • Belair Mansion — mansion located in Collington, Maryland, United States of America
  • • Bowie Railroad Buildings — railway building and museum in Bowie, Maryland, USA

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 24m. Total distance: 14.9 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

24m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 4.9 miles on John Hanson Highway. 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 Bowie, 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 (District Heights Parkway): Roundabout - know your exit number before entering; at 3.3 miles (MD 704 / Martin Luther King Jr. Highway): Lane positioning matters here; at 13.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

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 Bowie, 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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