Skip to main content
US Trip Planner Logo
US Trip Planner

Trip from Frederick, MD to Fairwood, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 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

$9

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 12m ★
6 AM
1h 18m
8 AM
1h 30m
10 AM
1h 22m
12 PM
1h 21m
3 PM
1h 23m
5 PM
1h 30m
8 PM
1h 14m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
city in Frederick County, Maryland, United States

Frederick, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Downtown Fairwood, MD, MD

Fairwood, MD

Jonathan Borba

Trip Overview

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.

Main Roads

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
Longest stretch: Eisenhower Memorial Highway — 21.6 mi, about 27m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Frederick, MD and Fairwood, MD.

1

Start on MD 144

122 ft · 7 sec · East Patrick Street
2

Turn right onto North Market Street

435 ft · 18 sec · North Market Street
3

Turn right onto East Church Street

0.3 mi · 47 sec · East Church Street
4

Turn right onto North East Street

0.6 mi · 1 min · North East Street
Use the straight / right lanes.
5

Enter roundabout onto East Street

101 ft · 1 sec · East Street
6

Continue on East Street

0.1 mi · 14 sec · East Street
7

Continue on MD 85

1.7 mi · 3 min · Buckeystown Pike
8

Take the ramp

0.2 mi · 34 sec
Toward I 270 South
9

Merge onto I 270

22 mi · 27 min · Eisenhower Memorial Highway
Use the right lane.
10

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

6.6 mi · 9 min · I 270
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

2.8 mi · 3 min · I 270
Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park Use the slight left / straight lanes.
12

Merge onto I 495

13 mi · 17 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 33 sec
Exit 22A Toward MD 295: North Baltimore Use the right lane.
14

Merge onto Baltimore-Washington Parkway

0.5 mi · 43 sec · Baltimore-Washington Parkway
15

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 19 sec
Toward MD 193: Greenbelt, NASA Goddard, US Park Police Use the slight right lane.
16

Keep slight left at fork

288 ft · 8 sec
Toward MD 193 East Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17

Turn left onto MD 193

3.2 mi · 5 min · Greenbelt Road
18

Continue on MD 193

1.9 mi · 2 min · Glenn Dale Boulevard
19

Turn slight left

213 ft · 7 sec
20

Continue on Bell Station Road

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Bell Station Road
21

Continue on Fairwood Parkway

1.0 mi · 1 min · Fairwood Parkway
22

Turn right onto Gerrards Hope Drive

0.2 mi · 50 sec · Gerrards Hope Drive
23

Turn right onto Tylers Hope Drive

346 ft · 15 sec · Tylers Hope Drive
24

Arrive at destination

Tylers Hope Drive

Where to Stop

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

group of communities in Montgomery County, Maryland that straddles the northwest border of Washington, D.C., United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Chevy Chase, MD

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.

Pacing Suggestions

Germantown, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Rockville, MD

Meal break

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.

Heads-up: tricky spots

5 of 15

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.

6
0.4 mi into trip | ~1m in | North East Street

Turn right onto North East Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / right lanes.
8
31.3 mi into trip | ~43m in | I 270

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

Use the slight left / straight lanes. Toward I 270 South: Silver Spring, College Park
7
47.5 mi into trip | ~1h 4m in

Take the exit toward MD 295: North Baltimore

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the right lane. Exit 22A Toward MD 295: North Baltimore
7
48.3 mi into trip | ~1h 5m in

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

Use the slight right lane. Toward MD 193: Greenbelt, NASA Goddard, US Park...
8
48.4 mi into trip | ~1h 5m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 193 East

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward MD 193 East

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.15 one way

$18.30 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $10.02 $20.05
premium $4.93 $10.71 $21.41
diesel $5.61 $12.19 $24.37

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 15, 2026

Origin

Frederick, MD

Morning in Frederick on Sunday

Local time

6:10 AM

EDT

Current temp

67°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Fairwood, MD

Morning in Fairwood on Sunday

Local time

6:10 AM

EDT

Current temp

76°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

9 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

1h 18m 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 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.

Only 20% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
24 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.6 mi on Eisenhower Memorial Highway.

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 0.4 miles in near North East Street.

Driving Effort 10/10

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.

Towns Mentioned on Route Signs

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

31.3 mi in | ~43m | via I 270

Nasa Goddard

48.3 mi in | ~1h 5m

Us Park Police

48.3 mi in | ~1h 5m

Who Is This Route For?

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 21.6 miles on Eisenhower Memorial 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 Fairwood, 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 0.4 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.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Fairwood, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

Was this helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

Your tip has been submitted. Thanks!

/500

Explore More

Continue From Fairwood, MD

Bethesda, MD 22.9 mi · 36m

More from Frederick, MD

Solomons, MD 107.8 mi · 2h 35m Drum Point, MD 107.1 mi · 2h 32m Chesapeake Ranch Estates, MD 106.1 mi · 2h 31m Greensboro, MD 105.9 mi · 2h 22m Frostburg, MD 99.2 mi · 1h 58m Bennsville, MD 76.6 mi · 1h 46m

More trips to Fairwood, MD

Gwynn Oak, MD 35.1 mi Baltimore, MD 30.3 mi
Escape planner: Frederick, MD Scenic drives in MD

Explore more options from Frederick, MD or browse trips ending in Fairwood, MD.

Looking for more statewide routes? Browse MD road trips.