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Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Cape Saint Claire, 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

1h 14m

Distance

54.4 mi

88 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$9

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 18 min
4 AM
1h 8m ★
6 AM
1h 14m
8 AM
1h 26m
10 AM
1h 18m
12 PM
1h 17m
3 PM
1h 19m
5 PM
1h 25m
8 PM
1h 11m

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

Downtown Cape Saint Claire, MD, MD

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Jay Johnson

Trip Overview

Gaithersburg, MD to Cape Saint Claire, MD is 54.4 miles and takes about 1 hour 14 minutes via John Hanson Highway, Capital Beltway, and I 270, with a fuel budget near $9 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This drive stays within Maryland, covering ground in the Northeast region. Expect a route that primarily uses surface roads, making it a straightforward trip rather than a high-speed dash. Given its relatively short distance and duration, this trip is well-suited for a single-day excursion.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
John Hanson Highway 18.7 mi 21m
Capital Beltway 16.3 mi 21m
I 270 9.4 mi 12m
Blue Star Memorial Highway 4.1 mi 5m
Eisenhower Memorial Highway 1.4 mi 1m
Cape Saint Claire Road 0.9 mi 2m
West Diamond Avenue 0.5 mi 1m
Busch's Frontage Road 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: John Hanson Highway — 18.7 mi, about 21m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and Cape Saint Claire, 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

19 mi · 21 min · John Hanson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Continue on US 50; US 301; MD 2

4.1 mi · 5 min · Blue Star Memorial Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 23 sec
Exit 29A Toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Continue on Busch's Frontage Road

0.4 mi · 49 sec · Busch's Frontage Road
Use the straight lane.
15

Turn left onto MD 179

0.1 mi · 22 sec · Saint Margarets Road
16

Continue on MD 179

0.9 mi · 2 min · Cape Saint Claire Road
17

Turn left onto Hilltop Drive

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Hilltop Drive
18

Turn left onto Blue Ridge Drive

0.2 mi · 29 sec · Blue Ridge Drive
19

Turn right onto Hampton Road

0.3 mi · 1 min · Hampton Road
20

Turn left onto Dogwood Tree Drive

312 ft · 13 sec · Dogwood Tree Drive
21

Arrive at destination

Dogwood Tree Drive

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Riverdale Park, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Riverdale Park, MD

27 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

North Bethesda, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 12 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

New Carrollton, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 27.2 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 15

5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 52.1 — 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.
6
2.5 mi into trip | ~4m in | I 270

Keep slight left at fork onto I 270

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes.
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
8
52.1 mi into trip | ~1h 8m in

Take the exit toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Frontage Road

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 29A Toward MD 179: Saint Margarets Road, Busch's Fr...

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$9.02 one way

$18.04 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 19 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $9.88 $19.76
premium $4.93 $10.55 $21.10
diesel $5.61 $12.01 $24.02

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$9

Estimated CO2 emission: 19 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 68% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 16.3 0 $5.71 $2.61
Efficient EV 13.6 0 $4.76 $2.18
EV Truck/SUV 21.8 0 $7.62 $3.48

Gas CO2

19 kg

EV CO2

6 kg (68% 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

Late night in Gaithersburg on Tuesday

Local time

5:30 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Unavailable

Live forecast

Destination

Cape Saint Claire, MD

Late night in Cape Saint Claire on Tuesday

Local time

5:30 AM

EDT

Current temp

65°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

1 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

1h 14m on the road

Use the two city cards together: check the sky where you start, then compare it with the local time and temperature at arrival.

Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is mostly surface roads, with only 17% of the trip on highways. You'll experience 18.7 miles on the John Hanson Highway as your longest continuous stretch on a major road. After that, anticipate navigating through more local streets and interchanges. Be prepared for frequent traffic signals and potential slowdowns as you transition from highway segments to surface road cruising.

Only 17% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
21 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.7 mi on John Hanson Highway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

9/10

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 9/10

Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This drive requires moderate attention. Across 54.4 miles you will encounter 15 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 0.1 miles (Chestnut Street): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.5 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.

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 Cape Saint Claire, 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.

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 1h 14m. Total distance: 54.4 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

1h 14m 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 18.7 miles on John Hanson Highway. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Cape Saint Claire, 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 2.5 miles (I 270): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. 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.

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 Cape Saint Claire, 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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