Origin
Ellicott City, MD
Morning in Ellicott City on Sunday
Local time
7:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Ellicott City, MD to Rockville, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
44m
Distance
27 mi
43 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 41m
★
6 AM
0h 45m
8 AM
0h 52m
10 AM
0h 47m
12 PM
0h 47m
3 PM
0h 48m
5 PM
0h 52m
8 PM
0h 43m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Ellicott City, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Rockville, MD
Jonathan Borba
Trip Overview
If you are looking to travel between Ellicott City and Rockville, this 27-mile trek is a straightforward local excursion. Expect to spend about 44 minutes behind the wheel, making this an ideal day trip that requires no overnight stays. You will navigate primarily via Columbia Pike, Spencerville Road, and Norbeck Road to complete the journey. With a fuel budget of just $4, it is an economical route for a quick change of scenery within Maryland. Since both endpoints are located in the Northeast region, you will remain within familiar territory throughout the entire drive.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia Pike | 10.4 mi | 13m |
| Norbeck Road | 8.7 mi | 14m |
| Spencerville Road | 3.1 mi | 5m |
| Old Columbia Pike | 2.7 mi | 6m |
| Veirs Mill Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| First Street | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| East Jefferson Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Montgomery Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Columbia Pike
— 10.4 mi, about 13m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Ellicott City, MD and Rockville, MD.
1
Start on Old Columbia Pike
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Old Columbia Pike
2
Turn slight right onto MD 103
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Montgomery Road
3
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward US 29 South: Washington
Use the left / straight lanes.
4
Merge onto US 29
10 mi
·
13 min
·
Columbia Pike
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward Laurel, Burtonsville
Use the slight right lane.
6
Enter roundabout onto Old Columbia Pike
147 ft
·
3 sec
·
Old Columbia Pike
7
Continue on Old Columbia Pike
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Columbia Pike
8
Continue on MD 198
0.4 mi
·
56 sec
·
Old Columbia Pike
9
Continue on MD 198
3.1 mi
·
5 min
·
Spencerville Road
10
Continue on Norbeck Road
8.7 mi
·
14 min
·
Norbeck Road
11
Continue on MD 28
0.5 mi
·
56 sec
·
First Street
12
Turn right onto MD 28
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Veirs Mill Road
13
Continue on MD 28
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
East Jefferson Street
Use the right lane.
14
Turn right onto South Washington Street
300 ft
·
9 sec
·
South Washington Street
Use the right lane.
15
Arrive at destination
South Washington Street
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 55 decision points cluster between mile 1.6 and 26.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
8
1.6 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward US 29 South: Washington
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left / straight lanes.
Toward US 29 South: Washington
5
1.9 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
US 29 / Columbia Pike
Merge onto US 29 / Columbia Pike
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
12.2 mi into trip
|
~18m in
Take the exit toward Laurel, Burtonsville
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward Laurel, Burtonsville
4
12.6 mi into trip
|
~18m in
|
Old Columbia Pike
Enter roundabout onto Old Columbia Pike
Roundabout - know your exit number before entering
7
26.9 mi into trip
|
~44m in
|
South Washington Street
Turn right onto South Washington Street
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.48 one way
$8.95 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.90 | $9.81 |
| premium | $4.93 | $5.24 | $10.47 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.96 | $11.92 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 9.4 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 8.1 | 0 | $2.83 | $1.30 |
| Efficient EV | 6.8 | 0 | $2.36 | $1.08 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 10.8 | 0 | $3.78 | $1.73 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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.
Destination
Rockville, MD
Morning in Rockville on Sunday
Local time
7:59 AM
EDT
Current temp
80°F
Partly Sunny
SW 15 mph
10% chance
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
5 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
44m 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?
Forget the monotony of the interstate; this route features zero highway miles, offering a turn-heavy local experience instead. You will find yourself navigating smaller roads rather than wide-open lanes, which keeps the driving engaging. The longest stretch you will encounter is a 10.4-mile segment on Columbia Pike, providing the most consistent flow of the trip. Because the path relies entirely on local roads, you should prepare for a more technical drive that demands your full attention compared to a standard highway cruise.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.4 mi on Columbia Pike.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
Expect a hands-on drive with frequent turns and local roads rather than long highway stretches. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 1.6 miles in.
Driving Effort
3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 44m drive. You will face about 5 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (US 29 / Columbia Pike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Ellicott City, MD and Rockville, MD, road signs point toward Laurel and Burtonsville.
Laurel
12.2 mi in
|
~18m
Burtonsville
12.2 mi in
|
~18m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 44m. Total distance: 27 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
44m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (0%). Straightforward navigation.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.4 miles on Columbia Pike. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 1.6 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 1.9 miles (US 29 / Columbia Pike): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 12.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 Rockville, 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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