Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
57m
Distance
45.5 mi
73 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
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
Jessup, MD
Wikimedia Commons
This 45.5-mile drive from Frederick, MD, to Jessup, MD, is estimated to take about 57 minutes, making it a perfect one-day trip. You'll be navigating primarily local roads, with no highway driving involved. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $8. Given its short duration and turn-heavy nature, this route is best suited for a single, straightforward drive rather than an overnight stay. It offers a straightforward connection within the Northeast region of Maryland.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 70 | 32.1 mi | 34m |
| Waterloo Road | 3.5 mi | 6m |
| MD 100 | 2.9 mi | 3m |
| Columbia Pike | 2.3 mi | 2m |
| Rouse Parkway | 1.2 mi | 1m |
| North East Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| East Church Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Jessup Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 6 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
4 PM
~3,269 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~204 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
16×
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 Jessup, 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 70; US 40
Continue on I 70; US 40
Keep slight left at fork onto I 70
Take the exit
Merge onto US 29
Take the exit
Continue on MD 100
Take the exit
Turn straight onto Snowden River Parkway
Turn left onto MD 108
At end of road, turn left onto MD 175
Continue on MD 175
Continue on MD 175
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
23 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 10 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 22.8 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 40.7 — 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
Take the exit toward US 29 South: Columbia, Washington
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward MD 100 East: Glen Burnie
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward Snowden River Parkway
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Turn left onto MD 108 / Waterloo Road
Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$8.05 one way
$16.09 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $8.81 | $17.63 |
| premium | $5.24 | $9.39 | $18.79 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $9.58 | $19.17 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 15.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 13.7 | 0 | $4.78 | $2.18 |
| Efficient EV | 11.4 | 0 | $3.98 | $1.82 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 18.2 | 0 | $6.37 | $2.91 |
Gas CO2
16 kg
EV CO2
5 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
Afternoon in Frederick on Wednesday
Local time
4:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
Sunny
Destination
Afternoon in Jessup on Wednesday
Local time
4:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
83°F
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 this 45.5-mile journey, as indicated by the 0% highway share. The route relies on North Market Street, East Church Street, and North Carroll Street, suggesting a connected series of local roads rather than long, uninterrupted stretches. While there's no specific longest stretch data, the 'turn-heavy' profile implies frequent adjustments and a more engaged driving experience as you navigate through communities. The character of the drive will likely involve urban and suburban streets.
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 70 and Waterloo Road. 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 13 decision points packed into just 45.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 57m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (North East Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 33.8 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 36.9 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
611 ft
Total Descent
679 ft
Highest Point
713 ft
~19.5 mi in
Elevation Range
499 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Frederick, MD and Jessup, MD, road signs point toward Baltimore and Washington.
Baltimore
Washington
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Cafe
Near the end, right off the route
Ellicott City, MD
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Near the end, short detour
Columbia, MD
Cuisine: coffee_shop
Visit websiteCafe
Later in the drive, short detour
Fast_food
Later in the drive, right off the route
Woodstock, MD
Cuisine: sandwich
Hours: Mo-Fr 08:30-21:00; Sa 09:00-20:00; Su 09...
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the end, right off the route
Ellicott City
Cuisine: american;breakfast
Hours: Mo-Su 06:00-16:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the end, right off the route
Ellicott City
Cuisine: asian
Visit websiteFast_food
Early in the drive, right off the route
Mount Airy, MD
Cuisine: mexican
Hours: Mo-Su 10:45-22:00
Visit websiteRestaurant
Near the end, right off the route
Ellicott City
Cuisine: pizza
Restaurant
Later in the drive, right off the route
Ellicott City
Cuisine: asian;chinese;seafood
Hours: We-Mo 11:30-21:30
Visit websitePark
Near the start, right off the route
Attraction
Near the start, right off the route
Park
Near the start, right off the route
Park
Near the end, right off the route
Park
Early in the drive, right off the route
Park
Early in the drive, short detour
Monument
Early in the drive, right off the route
District
Early in the drive, short detour
District
Early in the drive, short detour
District
Later in the drive, short detour
Monument
Near the start, short detour
Museum
Near the start, short detour
MD
Points of interest from OpenStreetMap contributors. Listings may not reflect current hours or availability.
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
Founded 1863
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 57m. Total distance: 45.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
57m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (80%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
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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