Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 2, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 55m
Distance
82 mi
132 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$14
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
Huntingtown Town Center, MD
Tom Fisk
Frederick, MD to Huntingtown Town Center, MD is 82 miles and takes about 1 hour 55 minutes via Capital Beltway and Southern Maryland Boulevard, with a fuel budget near $13 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within the Northeast region, primarily traversing Maryland. Expect a drive that transitions from highway cruising to more local roads as you approach your destination. It's a manageable distance, making it a good option for a single-day excursion without feeling rushed.
Trip Pace
Same-day drive is realistic
A same-day return is realistic if you keep stops short.
Midpoint
41 miles from Frederick, MD
A natural place for your longest stop of the day , about 56m into the drive .
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 21.9 mi | 28m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 21.6 mi | 27m |
| Southern Maryland Boulevard | 10.2 mi | 14m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Ritchie Marlboro Road | 5.9 mi | 10m |
| Stephanie Roper Highway | 4.9 mi | 6m |
| North Solomons Island Road | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Buckeystown Pike | 1.7 mi | 3m |
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 Huntingtown Town Center, 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 left at fork
Enter roundabout onto Ritchie Marlboro Road
Continue on Ritchie Marlboro Road
Enter roundabout onto Ritchie Marlboro Road
Continue on Ritchie Marlboro Road
Continue on Ritchie Marlboro Road
Take the ramp
Merge onto MD 4
Continue on MD 4
Continue on MD 4
Continue on MD 2; MD 4
Take the exit
Continue on MD 524
Turn right onto Dismondy Drive
Arrive at destination
Given the relatively short duration of 1 hour 55 minutes, this trip offers a lot of flexibility. You could leave mid-morning to avoid the worst of rush hour traffic around the Capital Beltway. With 82 miles and a fuel cost estimate of $13, you likely won't need to stop for gas unless your tank is very low. There are no recommended stops, so you can easily make this a direct drive or add a brief pause for a coffee break if desired.
Morning Departure
Leave by 9 AM and you'll arrive before lunch.
Evening Departure
Even a 4 PM departure gets you there before dark in summer.
This is a comfortable same-day trip.
Departure
Before you leave
Start with fuel, water, and navigation already sorted so the first hour feels easy.
First stop
Around 18 miles or 25m in
Use this first pause for coffee, a restroom break, and a quick traffic check ahead.
Halfway reset
Around 41 miles or 56m in
This is the best place for your longest stop, a real meal, and a full fuel check.
Final approach
Final hour starts around 1h 37m
Traffic, exits, and arrival timing usually matter more near Huntingtown Town Center, MD than in the middle of the route.
Open the route before leaving Frederick, MD so your first major turns are already loaded.
Day 1
Settle into the route from Frederick, MD
This is one driving day of about 82 miles and 1h 55m.
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
41 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 18 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 41 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 56.4 — 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
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 221A: Capitol Heights, Upper Marlboro
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 East Upper Marlboro, Ritchie - Marlboro Road
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$13.70 one way
$27.40 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $15.08 | $30.16 |
| premium | $5.01 | $16.18 | $32.36 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $18.08 | $36.15 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Estimated Trip Cost (one way, 1 person)
Fuel
$14
Meals
$25–$50
Total
$39–$64
Rough estimate based on US averages. Hotel $80–$140/night, meals $25–$50/day.
Estimated CO2 emission: 28.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $9 in charging · 0 stops · 66% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 24.6 | 0 | $8.61 | $3.94 |
| Efficient EV | 20.5 | 0 | $7.18 | $3.28 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 32.8 | 0 | $11.48 | $5.25 |
Gas CO2
29 kg
EV CO2
10 kg (66% 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 Tuesday
Local time
11:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
82°F
Sunny
Destination
Night in Huntingtown Town Center on Tuesday
Local time
11:46 PM
EDT
Current temp
84°F
Sunny
Seasonal Notes
Summer travel usually means heavier construction, hotter rest stops, and busier weekend traffic around major cities.
Winter travel shortens daylight, so a route that looks manageable on paper can feel much longer after dark.
Holiday weekends tend to make both departure and arrival windows slower than the raw route time suggests.
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.
Worth a detour if your schedule allows.
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This route features about 11% highway driving, with the longest stretch of highway at 21.9 miles on the Capital Beltway. You'll transition from highway speeds to mostly surface roads after leaving the Capital Beltway. The frequent exits on the Capital Beltway suggest a busy, urban-influenced section early in your drive, followed by more typical local road conditions.
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 82 miles you will encounter 17 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 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
304 ft
Total Descent
418 ft
Highest Point
456 ft
~5.9 mi in
Elevation Range
405 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Frederick, MD and Huntingtown Town Center, MD, road signs point toward College Park and Upper Marlboro.
College Park
Upper Marlboro
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 55m. Total distance: 82 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 55m drive, comfortable solo distance.
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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