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Trip from Fort Washington, MD to Rockville, 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

42.2 mi

68 km

Drive Score

6/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$7

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
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.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Fort Washington, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Rockville, MD, MD

Rockville, MD

Jonathan Borba

Trip Overview

Navigating from Fort Washington to Rockville covers 42.2 miles, typically taking about 58 minutes depending on traffic flow. Because the travel time is under an hour, this trip is perfectly suited as a simple day excursion that requires no overnight stay. You can expect to spend approximately $7 on fuel for the journey, making it a very cost-effective commute. The route primarily utilizes the Capital Beltway and Indian Head Highway, transitioning you across the Maryland landscape. It is a straightforward trip that links these two areas without the need for complex multi-day planning.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 19.1 mi 22m
Capital Beltway (Thru) 8 mi 10m
Indian Head Highway 5.7 mi 8m
I 270 Spur 3.1 mi 4m
I 270 1.8 mi 2m
Old Fort Road 1.6 mi 2m
Great Falls Road 0.7 mi 1m
Warburton Drive 0.3 mi 1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 19.1 mi, about 22m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Fort Washington, MD and Rockville, 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 left at fork

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward I 95 South, I 495 South, I 295 North: Washington, Richmond Use the slight left lane.
7

Keep slight right at fork

0.7 mi · 1 min
Toward I 95 South, I 495 South: Richmond Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
8

Merge onto I 95; I 495

8.0 mi · 10 min · Capital Beltway (Thru)
9

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495

0.7 mi · 47 sec · Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
10

Continue on I 495

2.4 mi · 2 min · Capital Beltway
Exit 170A Toward I 495 North: Tysons Corner Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto I 495

16 mi · 19 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight lane.
12

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270 Spur

3.1 mi · 4 min · I 270 Spur
Exit 38 Toward I 270: Rockville, Frederick
13

Keep slight right at fork onto I 270

1.8 mi · 2 min · I 270
Toward I 270 North Use the slight right lane.
14

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Exit 5 Toward MD 189: Falls Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight right at fork

0.1 mi · 13 sec
Toward MD 189 North: Falls Road, Rockville, Town Center Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16

Turn straight onto MD 189

432 ft · 20 sec · Falls Road
17

Turn left onto Great Falls Road

0.7 mi · 1 min · Great Falls Road
18

Continue on West Montgomery Avenue

0.2 mi · 37 sec · West Montgomery Avenue
Use the left / straight / right lanes.
19

Turn right onto South Washington Street

63 ft · 1 sec · South Washington Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
20

Arrive at destination

South Washington Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

Downtown Lake Barcroft, VA, VA

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Lake Barcroft, VA

21 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

North Bethesda, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 42 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Lake Barcroft, VA

Meal break

The midpoint is around 21.1 miles from Fort Washington, 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 7.9 and 41.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

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
9
8.1 mi into trip | ~13m in

Keep slight left at fork toward I 95 South, I 495 South, I 295 North: Washington, Richmond

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left lane. Toward I 95 South, I 495 South, I 295 North: Wa...
8
8.3 mi into trip | ~14m in

Keep slight right at fork toward I 95 South, I 495 South: Richmond

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward I 95 South, I 495 South: Richmond
7
36.1 mi into trip | ~49m in | I 270 Spur

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270 Spur toward I 270: Rockville, Frederick

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Exit 38 Toward I 270: Rockville, Frederick
9
41.1 mi into trip | ~56m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 189 North: Falls Road, Rockville, Town Center

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Toward MD 189 North: Falls Road, Rockville, Tow...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$7.00 one way

$13.99 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 15 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $7.66 $15.32
premium $4.93 $8.18 $16.37
diesel $5.61 $9.32 $18.63

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$7

Estimated CO2 emission: 14.8 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 12.7 0 $4.43 $2.03
Efficient EV 10.6 0 $3.69 $1.69
EV Truck/SUV 16.9 0 $5.91 $2.70

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.

Forecast as of Apr 17, 2026

Origin

Fort Washington, MD

Late night in Fort Washington on Sunday

Local time

12:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

79°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Rockville, MD

Late night in Rockville on Sunday

Local time

12:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

77°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

2 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

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?

Expect a turn-heavy local drive that demands your full attention as you transition between major thoroughfares. While the highway share accounts for 12% of your journey, you will spend your longest uninterrupted stretch covering 19.1 miles on the Capital Beltway. The character of the road shifts from regional connectivity to high-speed beltway transit before settling back into local driving patterns. Navigating these segments requires you to be comfortable with frequent lane changes and fluctuating speed limits. You will feel the contrast between the steady pace of the beltway and the more technical turns of the local roads along the way.

Only 12% 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: 19.1 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 7.9 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 16 decision points packed into just 42.2 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 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; at 8.3 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.

Between Fort Washington, MD and Rockville, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore, Richmond and Frederick.

Baltimore

7.9 mi in | ~13m

Richmond

8.1 mi in | ~13m

Frederick

36.1 mi in | ~49m | via I 270 Spur

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 58m. Total distance: 42.2 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 19.1 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 Rockville, 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 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; at 8.3 miles: 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 Rockville, 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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