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Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Bowie, 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

50m

Distance

36.4 mi

59 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 12 min
4 AM
0h 47m ★
6 AM
0h 51m
8 AM
0h 59m
10 AM
0h 54m
12 PM
0h 53m
3 PM
0h 54m
5 PM
0h 59m
8 PM
0h 48m

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

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

Bowie, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

Planning a trip from Gaithersburg, MD, to Bowie, MD? This drive covers 36.4 miles and should take about 50 minutes. It's a straightforward, single-day trip with a modest fuel cost estimated at $6. The route primarily utilizes the Capital Beltway and the John Hanson Highway, making it a quick journey within Maryland's Northeast region. With no specific stops recommended, this drive is ideal for a day trip, allowing you to reach your destination without needing an overnight stay. The overall feel is a practical, turn-heavy local drive that gets you where you need to go efficiently.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Capital Beltway 16.3 mi 21m
I 270 9.4 mi 12m
John Hanson Highway 5.7 mi 6m
Eisenhower Memorial Highway 1.4 mi 1m
Collington Road 0.8 mi 1m
West Diamond Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Chestnut Street 0.3 mi <1m
Evergreen Parkway 0.2 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Capital Beltway — 16.3 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

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

1

Start on this road

85 ft · 12 sec · this road
2

Turn left onto MD 355

251 ft · 12 sec · North Frederick Avenue
3

Turn left onto Chestnut Street

0.3 mi · 49 sec · Chestnut Street
Use the left lane.
4

Turn right onto MD 117

0.5 mi · 1 min · West Diamond Avenue
Use the right lane.
5

Take the ramp

0.3 mi · 39 sec
Toward I 270 South: Washington
6

Merge onto I 270

1.4 mi · 1 min · Eisenhower Memorial Highway
7

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

6.6 mi · 9 min · I 270
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8

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.
9

Merge onto I 495

16 mi · 21 min · Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10

Take the exit

1.0 mi · 2 min
Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto US 50

5.7 mi · 6 min · John Hanson Highway
12

Take the exit

0.4 mi · 50 sec
Exit 11 Toward MD 197: Bowie Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight right at fork

273 ft · 6 sec
Toward MD 197 Use the left / right lanes.
14

Turn straight onto MD 197

0.8 mi · 1 min · Collington Road
Use the left lane.
15

Turn right onto Evergreen Parkway

0.2 mi · 35 sec · Evergreen Parkway
16

Turn right

259 ft · 20 sec
17

Turn left

110 ft · 8 sec
18

Arrive at destination

Where to Stop

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

census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, Suburb of Washington DC

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Kemp Mill, MD

18 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

Crofton, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 36 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Kemp Mill, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 18.2 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 16

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 35.3 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.

6
0.1 mi into trip | ~0m in | Chestnut Street

Turn left onto Chestnut Street

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
8
9.1 mi into trip | ~13m 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
28.2 mi into trip | ~38m in

Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis

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

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 19A Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
7
34.9 mi into trip | ~47m in

Take the exit toward MD 197: Bowie

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

Use the slight right lane. Exit 11 Toward MD 197: Bowie
7
35.3 mi into trip | ~48m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 197

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the left / right lanes. Toward MD 197

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.03 one way

$12.07 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 13 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.61 $13.22
premium $4.93 $7.06 $14.12
diesel $5.61 $8.04 $16.07

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.7 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 10.9 0 $3.82 $1.75
Efficient EV 9.1 0 $3.18 $1.46
EV Truck/SUV 14.6 0 $5.10 $2.33

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 20, 2026

Origin

Gaithersburg, MD

Morning in Gaithersburg on Tuesday

Local time

8:21 AM

EDT

Current temp

40°F

Chance Rain Showers

W 7 mph 14% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:47AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:25AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Destination

Bowie, MD

Morning in Bowie on Tuesday

Local time

8:21 AM

EDT

Current temp

42°F

Chance Rain Showers

W 8 mph 8% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:47AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued April 20 at 2:25AM EDT until April 21 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

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

2 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

50m 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?

Expect a "turn-heavy local drive" on this 36.4-mile route, rather than a purely highway experience. While 26% of the journey involves highway driving, including a longest stretch of 16.3 miles on the Capital Beltway, much of the drive will likely involve navigating local roads and intersections. This means you'll be managing more frequent turns and potentially varying speed limits as you transition between major arteries and neighborhood streets. The character of the drive shifts as you move from the more open highway segments to the more intricate local portions closer to Bowie.

Only 26% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
18 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 16.3 mi on Capital Beltway.

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 0.1 miles in near Chestnut Street.

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 16 decision points packed into just 36.4 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 50m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.2 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.

On the drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Bowie, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.

College Park

9.1 mi in | ~13m | via I 270

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.

Arriving in Bowie, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1882

Bowie is a suburban bedroom community of Washington, D.C. in Prince George's County, Maryland.

Top landmarks

  • • Belair Mansion — mansion located in Collington, Maryland, United States of America
  • • Bowie Railroad Buildings — railway building and museum in Bowie, Maryland, USA

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 50m. Total distance: 36.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

50m 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 16.3 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Bowie, 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 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 9.1 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 28.2 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and Monocacy National Battlefield. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.

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

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