Origin
Fallston, MD
Late night in Fallston on Sunday
Local time
3:33 AM
EDT
Current temp
69°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fallston, MD to Columbia, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
58m
Distance
43.6 mi
70 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 54m
★
6 AM
0h 59m
8 AM
1h 8m
10 AM
1h 2m
12 PM
1h 1m
3 PM
1h 3m
5 PM
1h 8m
8 PM
0h 56m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fallston, MD
Tashaud Bullock
Columbia, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Fallston, MD to Columbia, MD is 43.6 miles and takes about 58 minutes via Harbor Tunnel Thruway, Express Toll Lanes, and John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, with a fuel budget near $7 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region towards the Northeast region. Expect a route that involves a good number of turns, characteristic of local driving, even with some highway segments. It's a straightforward trip that's easy to accomplish in a single day, making it ideal for a quick excursion or commute.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 12 mi | 15m |
| Express Toll Lanes | 7.7 mi | 9m |
| John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway | 5.8 mi | 6m |
| MD 100 | 4.8 mi | 6m |
| Mountain Road | 4.6 mi | 7m |
| I 95 | 2.2 mi | 2m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Fallston Road | 1.3 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
— 12 mi, about 15m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fallston, MD and Columbia, MD.
1
Start on Old Fallston Road
267 ft
·
11 sec
·
Old Fallston Road
2
Turn left onto Watervale Road
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Watervale Road
3
Turn right onto MD 152
1.3 mi
·
2 min
·
Fallston Road
Use the left lane.
4
Continue on MD 152
4.6 mi
·
7 min
·
Mountain Road
5
Take the ramp
0.5 mi
·
1 min
6
Merge onto I 95
5.8 mi
·
6 min
·
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway
7
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
6.5 mi
·
7 min
·
Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Express Toll Lanes
Use the slight left lane.
9
Merge onto I 895
3.8 mi
·
5 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
10
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
11
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Continue on I 895
0.5 mi
·
39 sec
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
13
Keep slight left at fork onto I 895
0.5 mi
·
41 sec
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14
Continue on I 895
6.0 mi
·
7 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / right lanes.
15
Merge onto I 95
2.2 mi
·
2 min
·
I 95
16
Take the exit
0.7 mi
·
55 sec
Exit 43B
Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Merge onto MD 100
4.8 mi
·
6 min
·
MD 100
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight left at fork
0.6 mi
·
47 sec
Toward US 29 South: Washington
Use the slight left lane.
19
Merge onto US 29
0.5 mi
·
30 sec
·
Columbia Pike
20
Take the exit
0.4 mi
·
50 sec
Exit 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
21
Arrive at destination
Exit 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
22 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 21.8 miles from Fallston, 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 12.4 and 43.2 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
12.4 mi into trip
|
~17m in
|
Express Toll Lanes
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
6
18.9 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
Express Toll Lanes
Keep slight left at fork onto Express Toll Lanes
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
7
36.6 mi into trip
|
~49m in
Take the exit toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 43B
Toward MD 100 West: Ellicott City
7
42.1 mi into trip
|
~56m in
Keep slight left at fork toward US 29 South: Washington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the slight left lane.
Toward US 29 South: Washington
8
43.2 mi into trip
|
~57m in
Take the exit toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Search, Harper's Choice
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 21B
Toward MD 108 West: Clarksville, Dorsey's Searc...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$7.23 one way
$14.46 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
15 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.92 | $15.83 |
| premium | $4.93 | $8.46 | $16.91 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $9.63 | $19.25 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.84
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(12 mi)
$0.84
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Tolls
$1
Total
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.1 | 0 | $4.58 | $2.09 |
| Efficient EV | 10.9 | 0 | $3.82 | $1.74 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 17.4 | 0 | $6.10 | $2.79 |
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.
Destination
Columbia, MD
Late night in Columbia on Sunday
Local time
3:33 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
6 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
58m 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 drive is described as 'turn-heavy local drive,' suggesting a dynamic experience behind the wheel. While 16% of the journey is on highways like the Harbor Tunnel Thruway, John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway, and Express Toll Lanes, you'll encounter frequent turns that break up the faster stretches. The longest continuous segment you'll navigate is 12 miles on the Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Be prepared for a route that demands your attention as it weaves through various local roads and transitions between them.
Only 16% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 12 mi on Harbor Tunnel Thruway.
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 12.4 miles in near Express Toll Lanes.
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 15 decision points packed into just 43.6 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 58m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 12.4 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.9 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 36.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 43.6 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
58m 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 12 miles on Harbor Tunnel Thruway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.84 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 Columbia, 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 12.4 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.9 miles (Express Toll Lanes): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 36.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. 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 Columbia, 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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