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Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Arbutus, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

52m

Distance

38 mi

61 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 48m ★
6 AM
0h 52m
8 AM
1h 1m
10 AM
0h 56m
12 PM
0h 55m
3 PM
0h 56m
5 PM
1h 1m
8 PM
0h 50m

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

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Gaithersburg, MD, MD

Gaithersburg, MD

Kristopher Hines

census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Arbutus, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 38-mile drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Arbutus, MD is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 52 minutes, making it perfect for a single-day excursion. You'll primarily navigate via the Intercounty Connector and I-95, with a portion on South Frederick Avenue, offering a mixed driving experience. With an estimated fuel cost of just $6, this route is quite budget-friendly. Given its short duration and the fact that both locations are within the Northeast region of Maryland, no overnight stops are necessary. This drive is ideal for a quick transit between these two points without significant time commitment.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Intercounty Connector 15.9 mi 20m
I 95 12.5 mi 14m
South Frederick Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
Shady Grove Road 1.1 mi 2m
Hilltop Circle 0.5 mi 2m
Metropolitan Boulevard 0.4 mi <1m
Frederick Road 0.4 mi <1m
UMBC Boulevard 0.3 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Intercounty Connector — 15.9 mi, about 20m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and Arbutus, MD.

1

Start on this road

85 ft · 8 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto MD 355

0.2 mi · 16 sec · North Frederick Avenue
3

Continue on MD 355

1.4 mi · 2 min · South Frederick Avenue
4

Continue on MD 355

0.4 mi · 42 sec · Frederick Road
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
5

Turn left onto Shady Grove Road

1.1 mi · 2 min · Shady Grove Road
6

Turn left

0.5 mi · 1 min
Toward MD 200 Toll East Use the left lane.
7

Merge onto MD 200 Toll

16 mi · 20 min · Intercounty Connector
8

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Exit 19C Toward I 95: Laurel, Burtonsville Use the slight right lane.
9

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 39 sec
Toward MD 198: Konterra Drive
10

Keep slight left at fork

0.9 mi · 1 min
Toward MD 198: Laurel, Burtonsville
11

Keep slight left at fork

0.6 mi · 39 sec
Toward MD 198 West: Burtonsville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Keep slight left at fork

0.7 mi · 50 sec
13

Merge onto I 95

12 mi · 14 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.3 mi · 22 sec
Exit 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville Use the straight / slight right lanes.
15

Keep slight left at fork

0.4 mi · 53 sec
Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville Use the slight left / slight right lanes.
16

Merge onto MD 166

0.4 mi · 25 sec · Metropolitan Boulevard
17

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 36 sec
Toward UMBC Campus Use the slight right lane.
18

Turn straight onto UMBC Boulevard

384 ft · 13 sec · UMBC Boulevard
19

Enter roundabout onto UMBC Boulevard

190 ft · 5 sec · UMBC Boulevard
20

Continue on UMBC Boulevard

0.2 mi · 34 sec · UMBC Boulevard
21

Enter roundabout onto Hilltop Circle

116 ft · 3 sec · Hilltop Circle
22

Continue on Hilltop Circle

0.5 mi · 2 min · Hilltop Circle
23

Turn right onto Poplar Avenue

0.2 mi · 38 sec · Poplar Avenue
24

Turn left onto Shelbourne Road

0.2 mi · 33 sec · Shelbourne Road
25

Arrive at destination

Shelbourne Road

Where to Stop

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

city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Laurel, MD

19 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

Catonsville, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 38 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Laurel, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 19 miles from Gaithersburg, 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 17

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.1 and 35.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

7
3.1 mi into trip | ~6m in

Turn left toward MD 200 Toll East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward MD 200 Toll East
8
19.5 mi into trip | ~27m in

Take the exit toward I 95: Laurel, Burtonsville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Exit 19C Toward I 95: Laurel, Burtonsville
7
21.5 mi into trip | ~30m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 198 West: Burtonsville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Toward MD 198 West: Burtonsville
8
35.2 mi into trip | ~45m in

Take the exit toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, Catonsville

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 47A-B Toward I 195 East, MD 166: BWI Thurgood Marshal...
8
35.6 mi into trip | ~46m in

Keep slight left at fork toward MD 166: Catonsville

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the slight left / slight right lanes. Exit 47B Toward MD 166: Catonsville

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.30 one way

$12.60 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.90 $13.80
premium $4.93 $7.37 $14.74
diesel $5.61 $8.39 $16.78

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 13.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 69% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 11.4 0 $3.99 $1.82
Efficient EV 9.5 0 $3.32 $1.52
EV Truck/SUV 15.2 0 $5.32 $2.43

Gas CO2

13 kg

EV CO2

4 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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Gaithersburg, MD

Late night in Gaithersburg on Tuesday

Local time

4:07 AM

EDT

Current temp

92°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 13 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:45AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 3:33AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Destination

Arbutus, MD

Late night in Arbutus on Tuesday

Local time

4:07 AM

EDT

Current temp

64°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

28 degrees cooler at arrival

A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.

Road read

52m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

Your journey will be a mixed drive, with 33% of it on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 15.9 miles on the Intercounty Connector, which offers a more continuous pace. As you transition to I-95 and then South Frederick Avenue, expect a blend of faster highway driving and potentially more local road conditions. This variety means you'll experience different road personalities throughout the 52-minute trip, shifting from open highway to more varied traffic patterns as you get closer to Arbutus.

33% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
25 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 15.9 mi on Intercounty Connector.

How Hard Is This Drive?

10/10

This route mixes highway mileage with some local-road sections near the start or finish. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes around 3.1 miles in.

Driving Effort 10/10

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 17 decision points packed into just 38 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 52m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 3.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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 Gaithersburg, MD and Arbutus, MD, road signs point toward Burtonsville and Catonsville.

Burtonsville

19.5 mi in | ~27m

Catonsville

35.2 mi in | ~45m

About the Cities

Starting in Gaithersburg, MD

Full guide →

Gaithersburg is a city of 70,000 people (2020) in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C.

City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 52m. Total distance: 38 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

52m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (33%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 15.9 miles on Intercounty Connector. 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 Arbutus, 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 3.1 miles: Lane positioning matters here; at 19.5 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 21.5 miles: Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Arbutus, 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.

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