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Trip from Essex, MD to North Bel Air, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

36m

Distance

24.4 mi

39 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

Save up to 10 min
4 AM
0h 33m ★
6 AM
0h 37m
8 AM
0h 43m
10 AM
0h 39m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 35m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown North Bel Air, MD, MD

North Bel Air, MD

William Finn

Trip Overview

Traveling from Essex to North Bel Air covers a modest 25.5 miles, making this a quick 35-minute journey perfect for a simple day trip. You will navigate primarily via North Woodward Drive, Eastern Boulevard, and MD 702 North as you head through Maryland’s Northeast region. Given the short duration, there is no need to split this into an overnight stay; it is easily manageable in a single outing. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, the trip is highly economical for most vehicles. This route serves as a straightforward connection between these two Maryland communities, offering a practical alternative to longer, more complex transit options.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway 11.5 mi 13m
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway 5.3 mi 7m
Southeast Freeway 1.6 mi 2m
Baltimore Beltway 1.3 mi 1m
Eastern Boulevard 1.1 mi 2m
South Main Street 0.6 mi 1m
Baltimore Pike 0.3 mi <1m
Marketplace Drive 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway — 11.5 mi, about 13m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Essex, MD and North Bel Air, MD.

1

Start on this road

327 ft · 25 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto North Woodward Drive

187 ft · 10 sec · North Woodward Drive
3

Turn left onto MD 150

1.1 mi · 2 min · Eastern Boulevard
4

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 47 sec
Toward MD 702 North: Beltway Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Merge onto MD 702

1.6 mi · 2 min · Southeast Freeway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6

Merge onto I 695

1.3 mi · 1 min · Baltimore Beltway
7

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 20 sec
Exit 33 Toward I 95 South, I 95 North: Baltimore, New York Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

Keep slight right at fork

1.0 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 North: New York Use the slight right lane.
9

Merge onto I 95

12 mi · 13 min · John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 38 sec
Exit 77A Toward MD 24: Bel Air, Edgewood Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.2 mi · 22 sec
Toward MD 24 North: Bel Air Use the slight left lane.
12

Turn left onto MD 24

5.3 mi · 7 min · Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway
Use the left lane.
13

Turn right onto Marketplace Drive

0.3 mi · 37 sec · Marketplace Drive
14

Continue on South Atwood Road

0.2 mi · 39 sec · South Atwood Road
15

Turn right onto US 1 Business

0.3 mi · 50 sec · Baltimore Pike
Use the straight / right lanes.
16

Continue on US 1 Business

363 ft · 17 sec · Fulford Avenue
17

Turn left onto US 1 Business; MD 924

0.1 mi · 25 sec · South Main Street
Use the left / straight lanes.
18

Keep slight right at fork onto US 1 Business; MD 924

0.5 mi · 1 min · South Main Street
Use the straight lane.
19

Arrive at destination

MD 924

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 13

5 decision points cluster between mile 4.5 and 23.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

8
4.5 mi into trip | ~8m in

Take the exit toward I 95 South, I 95 North: Baltimore, New York

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 33 Toward I 95 South, I 95 North: Baltimore, New Y...
7
4.6 mi into trip | ~8m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North: New York

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight right lane. Toward I 95 North: New York
8
17.1 mi into trip | ~23m in

Take the exit toward MD 24: Bel Air, Edgewood

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 77A Toward MD 24: Bel Air, Edgewood
7
17.5 mi into trip | ~24m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 24 North: Bel Air

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left lane. Toward MD 24 North: Bel Air
7
23.8 mi into trip | ~34m in | US 1 Business; MD 924 / South Main Street

Turn left onto US 1 Business; MD 924 / South Main Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / straight lanes.

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$4.05 one way

$8.09 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 9 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $4.43 $8.86
premium $4.93 $4.73 $9.46
diesel $5.61 $5.39 $10.77

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$4

Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 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 7.3 0 $2.56 $1.17
Efficient EV 6.1 0 $2.14 $0.98
EV Truck/SUV 9.8 0 $3.42 $1.56

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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Essex, MD

Late night in Essex on Sunday

Local time

12:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

74°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

North Bel Air, MD

Late night in North Bel Air on Sunday

Local time

12:49 AM

EDT

Current temp

68°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

6 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

36m 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 turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate haul, as this route maintains a 0% highway share. You will spend your time navigating local roads that require your full attention due to the frequent turns and urban transitions. Because there is no long, uninterrupted stretch, the drive feels consistent and steady from start to finish. You should prepare for a rhythm defined by local traffic patterns rather than the open-road cruising typical of major expressways. Staying alert at intersections is key, as the character of the road changes frequently as you transition through the local landscape.

Only 7% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 11.5 mi on John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

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 4.5 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 24.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.1 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.

Between Essex, MD and North Bel Air, MD, road signs point toward New York and Edgewood.

New York

4.5 mi in | ~8m

Edgewood

17.1 mi in | ~23m

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.

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 36m. Total distance: 24.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

36m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

Scenic Drive

Mostly surface roads route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 11.5 miles on John F. Kennedy Memorial 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 North Bel Air, 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 4.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 4.6 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 17.1 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. 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 North Bel Air, 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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