Origin
Fort Washington, MD
Afternoon in Fort Washington on Tuesday
Local time
1:00 PM
EDT
Current temp
68°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Fort Washington, MD to District Heights, 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
31m
Distance
16.5 mi
27 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 28m
★
6 AM
0h 31m
8 AM
0h 36m
10 AM
0h 33m
12 PM
0h 32m
3 PM
0h 33m
5 PM
0h 36m
8 PM
0h 29m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Fort Washington, MD
Wikimedia Commons
District Heights, MD
Kelly
Trip Overview
Fort Washington, MD to District Heights, MD is 16.5 miles and takes about 31 minutes via Indian Head Highway and Silver Hill Road, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland's Northeast region, predominantly using surface roads for a straightforward connection. It's a short hop, ideal for a quick errand or a brief exploration of the area without committing to a full day. Consider this route if you need a direct path between these two points and want to avoid major highways.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Head Highway | 5.7 mi | 8m |
| Saint Barnabas Road | 3 mi | 6m |
| Silver Hill Road | 2.2 mi | 4m |
| Old Fort Road | 1.6 mi | 2m |
| Capital Beltway | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Gateway Boulevard | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Old Silver Hill Road | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Warburton Drive | 0.3 mi | 1m |
Longest stretch:
Indian Head Highway
— 5.7 mi, about 8m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Fort Washington, MD and District Heights, MD.
1
Start on Warburton Drive
0.3 mi
·
1 min
·
Warburton Drive
2
At end of road, turn right onto Fort Washington Road
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
Fort Washington Road
3
Turn right onto Old Fort Road
1.6 mi
·
2 min
·
Old Fort Road
4
Turn left onto MD 210
5.7 mi
·
8 min
·
Indian Head Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
Toward I 95, I 495: Richmond, Baltimore
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Keep slight right at fork
0.8 mi
·
1 min
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore
Use the slight right lane.
7
Merge onto I 95; I 495
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
39 sec
Exit 4B
Toward MD 414 East: Marlow Heights
Use the right lane.
9
Turn straight onto MD 414
3.0 mi
·
6 min
·
Saint Barnabas Road
10
Turn right onto MD 458
2.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Silver Hill Road
Use the straight / right lanes.
11
Turn right onto Old Silver Hill Road
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Old Silver Hill Road
12
Turn right onto Marlboro Pike
0.1 mi
·
20 sec
·
Marlboro Pike
13
Turn left onto County Road
43 ft
·
3 sec
·
County Road
Use the left lane.
14
Turn right onto Gateway Boulevard
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Gateway Boulevard
15
Arrive at destination
Gateway Boulevard
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 125 decision points cluster between mile 0.3 and 15.9 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.3 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Fort Washington Road
At end of road, turn right onto Fort Washington Road
Navigation decision point
7
7.9 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Take the exit toward I 95, I 495: Richmond, Baltimore
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.
Toward I 95, I 495: Richmond, Baltimore
8
8.1 mi into trip
|
~13m in
Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore
7
10 mi into trip
|
~16m in
Take the exit toward MD 414 East: Marlow Heights
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 4B
Toward MD 414 East: Marlow Heights
7
15.9 mi into trip
|
~29m in
|
County Road
Turn left onto County Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.74 one way
$5.47 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $3.00 | $5.99 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.20 | $6.40 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.64 | $7.29 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 5 | 0 | $1.73 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.44 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.31 | $1.06 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
District Heights, MD
Afternoon in District Heights on Tuesday
Local time
1:00 PM
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
3 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
31m 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 route is entirely on surface roads, meaning you won't encounter any highway driving. The longest continuous stretch without a turn is 5.7 miles on Indian Head Highway. Expect a consistent pace with frequent intersections, typical of urban and suburban connectors. You'll notice the change from more open road to busier local streets as you approach your destination.
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: 5.7 mi on Indian Head Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.3 miles in near Fort Washington Road.
Driving Effort
7/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 12 decision points packed into just 16.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 31m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.3 miles (Fort Washington Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles: 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.
On the drive from Fort Washington, MD to District Heights, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Baltimore along the way.
Baltimore
7.9 mi in
|
~13m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 31m. Total distance: 16.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
31m 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 5.7 miles on Indian Head 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 District Heights, 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 0.3 miles (Fort Washington Road): Navigation decision point; at 7.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 8.1 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
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 District Heights, 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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