Origin
Essex, MD
Morning in Essex on Tuesday
Local time
8:22 AM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Essex, MD to Bowie, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
34.5 mi
55 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 49m
★
6 AM
0h 53m
8 AM
1h 2m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 57m
5 PM
1h 2m
8 PM
0h 51m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Bowie, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This short 34.5-mile drive from Essex, MD, to Bowie, MD, is easily manageable in about 53 minutes, making it a perfect one-day trip. You'll navigate using a combination of MD 3, I-97, and the Harbor Tunnel Thruway, with a significant portion of the journey on highways. With an estimated fuel cost of just $6, this route is quite budget-friendly. The drive offers a mixed experience, transitioning from urban environments to more suburban settings within the Northeast region. It’s a straightforward journey ideal for a quick commute or a short excursion without needing an overnight stay.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| MD 3 | 10.8 mi | 16m |
| I 97 | 8.9 mi | 10m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 4 mi | 5m |
| Harbor Tunnel Throughway | 2.2 mi | 3m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| East Lombard Street | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Eastern Avenue | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Eastern Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
MD 3
— 10.8 mi, about 16m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Essex, MD and Bowie, MD.
1
Start on this road
359 ft
·
31 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left
184 ft
·
15 sec
3
At end of road, turn right onto MD 150
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Eastern Boulevard
4
Continue on MD 150
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Eastern Avenue
Use the right lane.
5
Turn slight right
0.3 mi
·
48 sec
Toward MD 151 North: North Point Boulevard, Baltimore
Use the right lane.
6
Turn straight onto MD 151
0.5 mi
·
53 sec
·
North Point Boulevard
7
Turn left onto Kane Street
0.2 mi
·
34 sec
·
Kane Street
8
Turn slight right
184 ft
·
8 sec
9
Continue on East Lombard Street
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
East Lombard Street
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
10
Turn left onto MD 150
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Ponca Street
11
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 895 Toll South
12
Merge onto I 895
1.8 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
13
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
14
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15
Continue on I 895
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
16
Keep slight right at fork onto Harbor Tunnel Throughway
1.7 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Exit 6
Toward Annapolis, Glen Burnie
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Keep slight right at fork
1.1 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Continue on I 97
8.9 mi
·
10 min
·
I 97
Use the straight lane.
19
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3
11 mi
·
16 min
·
MD 3
Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton
Use the left lane.
20
Turn right onto MD 197
0.7 mi
·
1 min
·
Collington Road
Use the left lane.
21
Turn left onto Evergreen Parkway
0.2 mi
·
39 sec
·
Evergreen Parkway
22
Turn right
259 ft
·
20 sec
23
Turn left
110 ft
·
8 sec
24
Arrive at destination
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 34.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17.2 miles from Essex, 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 135 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 22.7 — 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
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard
At end of road, turn right onto MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard
Navigation decision point
9
11.1 mi into trip
|
~20m in
|
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Keep slight right at fork onto Harbor Tunnel Throughway toward Annapolis, Glen Burnie
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 6
Toward Annapolis, Glen Burnie
7
12.7 mi into trip
|
~22m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 97 South: Annapolis
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 97 South: Annapolis
8
22.7 mi into trip
|
~34m in
|
MD 3
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3 toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.72 one way
$11.44 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $6.26 | $12.53 |
| premium | $4.93 | $6.69 | $13.38 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $7.62 | $15.23 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.28
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(4 mi)
$0.28
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Tolls
$0
Total
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 12.1 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 | 10.4 | 0 | $3.62 | $1.66 |
| Efficient EV | 8.6 | 0 | $3.02 | $1.38 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.83 | $2.21 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 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
Bowie, MD
Morning in Bowie on Tuesday
Local time
8:22 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
1 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
53m 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 mixed drive on this route, with 58% of it being highway travel. You'll experience stretches of faster-paced driving, including a notable 10.8-mile segment on MD 3 which is the longest uninterrupted stretch. The road character shifts throughout the trip, moving from busy thoroughfares to potentially less congested sections. This blend means you’ll encounter both quick highway cruising and moments where you'll be navigating more typical local road conditions as you progress toward Bowie.
58% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 10.8 mi on MD 3.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.1 miles in.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 13 decision points packed into just 34.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 11.1 miles (Harbor Tunnel Throughway): 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 Essex, MD and Bowie, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore, Annapolis, Glen Burnie and Crofton.
Baltimore
2.4 mi in
|
~5m
Annapolis
11.1 mi in
|
~20m
|
via Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Glen Burnie
11.1 mi in
|
~20m
|
via Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Crofton
22.7 mi in
|
~34m
|
via MD 3
About the Cities
Starting in Essex, MD
Full guide →Southeast Baltimore, fittingly, covers the areas in the southeast of Baltimore, ranging from industrial wastelands to charming neighborhoods both quiet and hip.
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 53m. Total distance: 34.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (58%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 10.8 miles on MD 3. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.28 in tolls one way, starting with Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 0.1 miles: Navigation decision point; at 0.1 miles (MD 150 / Eastern Boulevard): Navigation decision point; at 11.1 miles (Harbor Tunnel Throughway): 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 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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