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Trip from Dunkirk Town Center, MD to North 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

1h 1m

Distance

41.5 mi

67 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 15 min
4 AM
0h 57m ★
6 AM
1h 2m
8 AM
1h 12m
10 AM
1h 5m
12 PM
1h 4m
3 PM
1h 6m
5 PM
1h 11m
8 PM
0h 59m

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 Dunkirk Town Center, MD, MD

Dunkirk Town Center, MD

Irina Iriser

Downtown North Bethesda, MD, MD

North Bethesda, MD

Kelly

Trip Overview

Dunkirk Town Center, MD to North Bethesda, MD is 41.5 miles and takes about 1 hour and 1 minute via Capital Beltway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local feel with plenty of turns, rather than a high-speed highway journey. Given its short duration, this trip is ideal for a single-day excursion with minimal time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 18.2 mi 23m
Largo Road 7.6 mi 11m
Southern Maryland Boulevard 5 mi 7m
Stephanie Roper Highway 4.6 mi 6m
Rockville Pike 1.8 mi 3m
Landover Road 1.7 mi 2m
Main Street 0.5 mi <1m
Nicholson Lane 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 18.2 mi, about 23m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Dunkirk Town Center, MD and North Bethesda, MD.

1

Start on this road

467 ft · 39 sec · this road
2

Turn left

115 ft · 11 sec
3

Turn right

238 ft · 17 sec
4

Merge onto MD 4

5.0 mi · 7 min · Southern Maryland Boulevard
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Continue on MD 4

4.6 mi · 6 min · Stephanie Roper Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 52 sec
Toward MD 717: Upper Marlboro Use the slight right lane.
7

Turn right onto MD 717

0.2 mi · 31 sec · Water Street
8

Turn right onto MD 725

0.5 mi · 58 sec · Main Street
9

Turn left onto MD 202

7.6 mi · 11 min · Largo Road
10

Continue on MD 202

1.7 mi · 2 min · Landover Road
11

Take the ramp

0.6 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: College Park, Baltimore
12

Merge onto I 95; I 495

9.0 mi · 11 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Keep slight left at fork onto I 495

9.2 mi · 11 min · Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 37 sec
Exit 34 Toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Turn straight onto MD 355

1.8 mi · 3 min · Rockville Pike
16

Turn left onto Nicholson Lane

0.3 mi · 1 min · Nicholson Lane
Use the left lane.
17

Turn left onto Commonwealth Drive

347 ft · 17 sec · Commonwealth Drive
18

Turn right onto Tudor Lane

338 ft · 15 sec · Tudor Lane
19

Continue on Tudor Lane

146 ft · 6 sec · Tudor Lane
20

Arrive at destination

Tudor Lane

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Seat Pleasant, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Seat Pleasant, MD

21 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

Rockville, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 41.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

New Carrollton, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20.8 miles from Dunkirk Town Center, 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 41 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

5
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in

Turn left

Navigation decision point

6
9.8 mi into trip | ~14m in

Take the exit toward MD 717: Upper Marlboro

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward MD 717: Upper Marlboro
8
29.6 mi into trip | ~44m 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
38.8 mi into trip | ~55m in

Take the exit toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville

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 34 Toward MD 355: Bethesda, Rockville
6
41 mi into trip | ~1h in | Nicholson Lane

Turn left onto Nicholson Lane

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.88 one way

$13.76 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $7.54 $15.07
premium $4.93 $8.05 $16.10
diesel $5.61 $9.16 $18.33

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.5 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 12.5 0 $4.36 $1.99
Efficient EV 10.4 0 $3.63 $1.66
EV Truck/SUV 16.6 0 $5.81 $2.66

Gas CO2

15 kg

EV CO2

5 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 17, 2026

Origin

Dunkirk Town Center, MD

Morning in Dunkirk Town Center on Sunday

Local time

6:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Bethesda, MD

Morning in North Bethesda on Sunday

Local time

6:23 AM

EDT

Current temp

77°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

3 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

1h 1m 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 route is characterized as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' indicating you'll encounter numerous intersections and changes in direction. With a highway share of 0%, you won't be on major interstates for extended periods. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 18.2 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a brief respite from frequent turns before rejoining more local roads. Prepare for a dynamic driving experience that requires constant attention to navigation and local traffic patterns.

Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
20 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.2 mi on Capital Beltway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

8/10

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 0.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 8/10

Demanding - plan breaks and stay ahead of the key maneuvers

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 41.5 miles you will encounter 14 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.6 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.

Between Dunkirk Town Center, MD and North Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore, Silver Spring and Rockville.

Baltimore

20.1 mi in | ~31m

Silver Spring

29.6 mi in | ~44m | via I 495

Rockville

38.8 mi in | ~55m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 1m. Total distance: 41.5 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 1m 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 18.2 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 North 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 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 9.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here; at 29.6 miles (I 495 / Capital Beltway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield. 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 North 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, EIA for fuel prices, and NPS for national parks. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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