Origin
Fairwood, MD
Morning in Fairwood on Sunday
Local time
8:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
76°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fairwood, MD to 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
36m
Distance
22.9 mi
37 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
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.
Fairwood, MD
Jonathan Borba
Bethesda, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 22.9-mile drive from Fairwood, MD to Bethesda, MD is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 36 minutes. Designed as a single-day excursion, you won't need to worry about finding overnight accommodations. The main arteries you'll navigate include the Capital Beltway, Annapolis Road, and Jones Bridge Road, with about 40% of the journey on highways. Expect a modest fuel cost of around $4 for this short haul. The overall feel is that of a typical local commute, making it a practical choice for getting from point A to point B within the Northeast region of Maryland.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 13.5 mi | 17m |
| Annapolis Road | 4.3 mi | 7m |
| Jones Bridge Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Fairwood Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| Wisconsin Avenue | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Connecticut Avenue | 0.5 mi | <1m |
| Arlington Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Edgemoor Lane | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 13.5 mi, about 17m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fairwood, MD and Bethesda, MD.
1
Start on Tylers Hope Drive
346 ft
·
20 sec
·
Tylers Hope Drive
2
Turn left onto Gerrards Hope Drive
0.2 mi
·
53 sec
·
Gerrards Hope Drive
3
At end of road, turn left onto Fairwood Parkway
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Fairwood Parkway
4
Turn left onto MD 450
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Annapolis Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
5
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 450
2.6 mi
·
4 min
·
Annapolis Road
Use the right lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
42 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
Use the right lane.
7
Merge onto I 95; I 495
6.1 mi
·
7 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
7.4 mi
·
9 min
·
Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
54 sec
Exit 33
Toward MD 185: Kensington, Chevy Chase
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Keep slight left at fork
246 ft
·
8 sec
Toward MD 185 South: Connecticut Avenue South, Chevy Chase
Use the left lane.
11
Turn left onto MD 185
0.5 mi
·
50 sec
·
Connecticut Avenue
Use the right lane.
12
Turn right onto Jones Bridge Road
1.1 mi
·
2 min
·
Jones Bridge Road
Use the right lane.
13
Turn left onto MD 355
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
·
Rockville Pike
Use the left / straight lanes.
14
Continue on MD 355
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Wisconsin Avenue
15
Turn right onto Commerce Lane
340 ft
·
17 sec
·
Commerce Lane
16
Continue on Edgemoor Lane
0.2 mi
·
41 sec
·
Edgemoor Lane
17
Turn left onto Arlington Road
0.3 mi
·
55 sec
·
Arlington Road
18
Turn right onto Bethesda Avenue
510 ft
·
22 sec
·
Bethesda Avenue
19
Turn left
44 ft
·
3 sec
20
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 165 decision points cluster between mile 2.9 and 19.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
2.9 mi into trip
|
~5m in
|
MD 450 / Annapolis Road
Keep slight right at fork onto MD 450 / Annapolis Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
5.5 mi into trip
|
~10m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Coll...
8
12 mi into trip
|
~18m 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
19.4 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward MD 185: Kensington, Chevy Chase
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 MD 185: Kensington, Chevy Chase
8
19.8 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 185 South: Connecticut Avenue South, Chevy Chase
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the left lane.
Toward MD 185 South: Connecticut Avenue South,...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.80 one way
$7.59 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.16 | $8.32 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.44 | $8.88 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.06 | $10.11 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 6.9 | 0 | $2.40 | $1.10 |
| Efficient EV | 5.7 | 0 | $2.00 | $0.92 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.2 | 0 | $3.21 | $1.47 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Bethesda, MD
Morning in Bethesda on Sunday
Local time
8:52 AM
EDT
Current temp
75°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 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 for this approximately 36-minute journey. While you'll spend about 40% of your time on highways, the route also incorporates significant stretches of local roads like Annapolis Road and Jones Bridge Road. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 13.5 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a brief period of faster travel. As you progress, the character shifts from highway cruising to more frequent turns and intersections characteristic of urban and suburban driving, so stay alert.
Only 4% 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: 13.5 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 2.9 miles in near MD 450 / Annapolis Road.
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 16 decision points packed into just 22.9 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 2.9 miles (MD 450 / Annapolis Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Fairwood, MD and Bethesda, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Silver Spring and Chevy Chase.
College Park
5.5 mi in
|
~10m
Silver Spring
12 mi in
|
~18m
|
via I 495
Chevy Chase
19.4 mi in
|
~28m
About the Cities
Arriving in Bethesda, MD
Full guide →Bethesda is in Montgomery County, Maryland, 1½ miles northwest of Washington, D.C. Wealthy and well-educated, Bethesda is best known for its numerous restaurants and as the headquarters of the National Institutes of Health.
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: 22.9 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 with national parks nearby.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 13.5 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 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 2.9 miles (MD 450 / Annapolis Road): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 5.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 12 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 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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