Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 18m
Distance
55.2 mi
89 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Frederick, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Fairwood, MD
Jonathan Borba
This 55.2-mile trip from Frederick, MD to Fairwood, MD typically takes about 1 hour and 18 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. You'll spend about 20% of your journey on highways, primarily navigating the Eisenhower Memorial Highway and the Capital Beltway via I-270. The estimated fuel cost for this drive is around $9. Given its relatively short distance and manageable duration, this route is best suited for a single-day trip, allowing for flexibility in your schedule. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 21.6 mi | 27m |
| Capital Beltway | 13.4 mi | 17m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Greenbelt Road | 3.2 mi | 5m |
| Glenn Dale Boulevard | 1.9 mi | 2m |
| Buckeystown Pike | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| Fairwood Parkway | 1 mi | 1m |
| North East Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
5 PM
~6,103 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~397 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
15.4×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 52 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Frederick, MD and Fairwood, 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
Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Turn left onto MD 193
Continue on MD 193
Turn slight left
Continue on Bell Station Road
Continue on Fairwood Parkway
Turn right onto Gerrards Hope Drive
Turn right onto Tylers Hope Drive
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
28 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 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 27.6 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 48.4 — 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 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 295: North Baltimore
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 193: Greenbelt, NASA Goddard, US Park Police
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 193 East
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$9.76 one way
$19.52 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $10.69 | $21.38 |
| premium | $5.24 | $11.40 | $22.79 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $11.63 | $23.25 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 16.6 | 0 | $5.80 | $2.65 |
| Efficient EV | 13.8 | 0 | $4.83 | $2.21 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 22.1 | 0 | $7.73 | $3.53 |
Gas CO2
19 kg
EV CO2
6 kg (68% 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
Afternoon in Frederick on Wednesday
Local time
4:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Mostly Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Fairwood on Wednesday
Local time
4:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Mostly Sunny
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
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.
Expect a 'turn-heavy' local drive for much of this 55.2-mile route. While 20% of your journey will be on faster-paced highways like the Eisenhower Memorial Highway and Capital Beltway, the majority involves more frequent turns and local road navigation. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 21.6 miles on the Eisenhower Memorial Highway. As you progress, the character of the drive will shift from highway speeds to more involved city and suburban driving.
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.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 55.2 miles you will encounter 15 spots where lane choice or exit timing matters. Not difficult for experienced highway drivers, but worth previewing the tricky sections before you go.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North East Street): 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; at 47.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
543 ft
Total Descent
637 ft
Highest Point
626 ft
~15.8 mi in
Elevation Range
503 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Frederick, MD and Fairwood, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Nasa Goddard and Us Park Police.
College Park
Nasa Goddard
Us Park Police
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 1h 18m. Total distance: 55.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 18m 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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