Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 4, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
37.7 mi
61 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Frederick, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Chevy Chase Section 4, MD
Connor Scott McManus
Frederick, MD to Chevy Chase Section 4, MD is 37.7 miles and takes about 54 minutes via Eisenhower Memorial Highway and I 270, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, primarily in Maryland. You'll spend most of your time on surface roads, with a brief stint on the highway. It's a straightforward drive that's easy to complete in under an hour, making it ideal for a quick commute or a short errand.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 21.6 mi | 27m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Buckeystown Pike | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Capital Beltway | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Connecticut Avenue | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| North East Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Church Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Thornapple Street | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 28 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~6,085 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~400 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.2×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 96 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Frederick, MD and Chevy Chase Section 4, MD.
Start on MD 144
Turn right onto North Market Street
Turn right onto East Church Street
Turn right onto North East Street
Enter roundabout onto East Street
Continue on East Street
Continue on MD 85
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MD 185
Turn right onto Thornapple Street
Turn left onto Meadow Lane
Turn right onto Sycamore Street
Turn left onto Hillcrest Place
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
19 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.
A short stop after about 37.7 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 18.9 miles from Frederick, 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 35.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto North East Street
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270 toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward MD 185: Chevy Chase, Kensington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right 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
Regular Gas
$6.30 one way
$12.60 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $6.93 | $13.87 |
| premium | $5.01 | $7.44 | $14.88 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.31 | $16.62 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.3 | 0 | $3.96 | $1.81 |
| Efficient EV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.30 | $1.51 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.1 | 0 | $5.28 | $2.41 |
Gas CO2
13 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (69% 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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Night in Frederick on Thursday
Local time
11:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Night in Chevy Chase Section 4 on Thursday
Local time
11:44 PM
EDT
Current temp
64°F
Partly Cloudy
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
This drive features about 25% highway time. You'll encounter the longest stretch of highway, 21.6 miles, on the Eisenhower Memorial Highway. After that, you'll transition to mostly surface roads for the remainder of your trip. Expect a mix of cruising and navigating through more developed areas as you approach your destination.
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 0.4 miles in near North East Street.
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 37.7 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North East Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.7 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 31.3 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
447 ft
Total Descent
403 ft
Highest Point
555 ft
~16.2 mi in
Elevation Range
332 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Frederick, MD and Chevy Chase Section 4, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Kensington and Chevy Chase.
College Park
Kensington
Chevy Chase
Founded 1745
Frederick is a charming city of approximately 80,000 people (2020) in Maryland. It is a major antique center with many shops, eateries, galleries and antique dealers.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 54m. Total distance: 37.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m 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.
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, USGS 3DEP for elevation, NPS for national parks, and FHWA TMAS for hourly traffic volumes. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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