Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
48m
Distance
33.2 mi
53 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Lake Arbor, MD
David Kanigan
Gaithersburg to Lake Arbor is 33.2 miles and takes about 48 minutes via Capital Beltway and I 270, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. While it involves some highway driving, the majority of the route is on surface roads, making it a relatively straightforward trip. It's a short enough drive that you can easily complete it in a single day, giving you plenty of flexibility for departure times and potential stops along the way.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 18.4 mi | 23m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Landover Road | 1.5 mi | 2m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| West Diamond Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Lake Arbor Way | 0.4 mi | 1m |
| Chestnut Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Campus Way North | 0.1 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 14 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
3 PM
~6,323 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~550 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
11.5×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 33 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and Lake Arbor, MD.
Start on this road
Turn left onto MD 355
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
Turn right onto MD 117
Take the ramp
Merge onto I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
Merge onto I 495
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MD 202
Turn left onto Lake Arbor Way
Turn left onto Campus Way North
Turn straight
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
17 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 33 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 16.6 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.
5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 30.8 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left onto MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue
Navigation decision point
Turn left onto Chestnut Street
Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto I 270
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
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
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 202 South: Upper Marlboro
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$5.55 one way
$11.09 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $6.11 | $12.21 |
| premium | $5.01 | $6.55 | $13.10 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.32 | $14.64 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.6 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10 | 0 | $3.49 | $1.59 |
| Efficient EV | 8.3 | 0 | $2.91 | $1.33 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.3 | 0 | $4.65 | $2.12 |
Gas CO2
12 kg
EV CO2
4 kg (67% 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
Night in Gaithersburg on Friday
Local time
11:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Mostly Cloudy
Destination
Night in Lake Arbor on Friday
Local time
11:11 PM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Slight Chance Rain Showers
68°F
White Oak, MD
17 mi in
Time zone
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
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.
This drive features 28% highway driving, with the longest stretch on the Capital Beltway covering 18.4 miles. You'll transition from highway cruising onto surface roads for the bulk of your travel. Expect to encounter numerous exits and potential traffic merging as you navigate the Capital Beltway and I 270. The latter portion of the drive will be on surface roads, likely with more local traffic and intersections.
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 MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue.
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 15 decision points packed into just 33.2 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 48m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue): Navigation decision point; 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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
218 ft
Total Descent
551 ft
Highest Point
501 ft
Elevation Range
421 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Lake Arbor, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
College Park
Founded 1802
Gaithersburg is a city of 70,000 people (2020) in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C.
Top landmarks
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 48m. Total distance: 33.2 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
48m 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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