Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jun 3, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
56m
Distance
39.4 mi
63 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
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
Spencerville, MD
Jonathan Borba
This 39.4-mile drive from Frederick, MD to Spencerville, MD is a manageable 56-minute trip, making it an ideal day trip. You'll primarily be on the Eisenhower Memorial Highway, the Intercounty Connector, and Norbeck Road. With a modest fuel cost of around $7 and no recommended stops, this route is straightforward for a single day. It's a local drive, so expect a more connected-to-the-area feel rather than a long-haul interstate experience. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region, keeping your travel geographically focused.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 21 mi | 26m |
| Intercounty Connector | 5.4 mi | 6m |
| Norbeck Road | 5.1 mi | 8m |
| Buckeystown Pike | 1.7 mi | 3m |
| I 370 | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Spencerville Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| North East Street | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.5 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 Spencerville, 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
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 370
Continue on MD 200 Toll
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MD 97
Turn left onto MD 28
Continue on MD 198
Turn right onto Good Hope Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 19.7 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 and 32.5 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn right onto North Market Street
Navigation decision point
Turn right onto North East Street
Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 370
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 97 South, MD 97 North: Wheaton, Olney
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 97 South: Georgia Avenue, Wheaton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$6.97 one way
$13.94 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.92 | $7.63 | $15.26 |
| premium | $5.24 | $8.13 | $16.27 |
| diesel | $5.35 | $8.30 | $16.60 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.8 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-06-01.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.8 | 0 | $4.14 | $1.89 |
| Efficient EV | 9.9 | 0 | $3.45 | $1.58 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.8 | 0 | $5.52 | $2.52 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
53°F
Clear
Destination
Afternoon in Spencerville on Wednesday
Local time
4:54 PM
EDT
Current temp
53°F
Clear
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 on this route, with about 4% of your journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 21 miles along the Eisenhower Memorial Highway. This drive is characterized by a mix of road types, transitioning from highway sections to more local roads as you progress. The overall feel is less about a continuous highway sprint and more about navigating through the local Maryland landscape.
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 early in the drive near North Market 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 39.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (North Market Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.4 miles (North East Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 24.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
549 ft
Total Descent
330 ft
Highest Point
559 ft
~14.1 mi in
Elevation Range
277 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Frederick, MD and Spencerville, MD, road signs point toward Olney and Wheaton.
Olney
Wheaton
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 56m. Total distance: 39.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
56m 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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