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Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Lansdowne, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Jul 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

54m

Distance

40 mi

64 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 13 min
4 AM
0h 50m ★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 57m
12 PM
0h 56m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m

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

Best Time
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Downtown Gaithersburg, MD, MD

Gaithersburg, MD

Kristopher Hines

Downtown Lansdowne, MD, MD

Lansdowne, MD

Wikimedia Commons

Trip Overview

This 40-mile drive from Gaithersburg, MD, to Lansdowne, MD, is a straightforward trip that can easily be completed in about 54 minutes. Given its short duration and manageable distance, it's perfectly suited as a single-day excursion, requiring no overnight stays. The estimated fuel cost for this journey is around $7, making it an economical option. You'll primarily navigate via the Intercounty Connector and I-95, with a portion on South Frederick Avenue. This route is characterized by a mixed driving profile, offering a blend of highway speeds and local road transitions as you travel within the Northeast region of Maryland.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Intercounty Connector 15.9 mi 20m
I 95 14.5 mi 16m
South Frederick Avenue 1.4 mi 2m
Shady Grove Road 1.1 mi 2m
Baltimore Beltway 0.9 mi 1m
Hammonds Ferry Road 0.5 mi 1m
Hollins Ferry Road 0.4 mi 1m
Frederick Road 0.4 mi <1m
Longest stretch: Intercounty Connector — 15.9 mi, about 20m

Traffic on I-95

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 24 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

7 AM

~5,983 veh/hr typical · worst 8,079

Quietest

2 AM

~695 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

8.6×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 51 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and Lansdowne, 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

15 mi · 16 min · I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
14

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 49A Toward I 695 East: Glen Burnie, Key Bridge Use the slight right lane.
15

Merge onto I 695

0.9 mi · 1 min · Baltimore Beltway
16

Take the exit

0.1 mi · 18 sec
Exit 9 Toward Lansdowne, Maryland Food Bank Use the right lane.
17

Turn right onto Hollins Ferry Road

0.4 mi · 1 min · Hollins Ferry Road
18

Turn sharp left onto Hammonds Ferry Road

0.5 mi · 1 min · Hammonds Ferry Road
19

Turn right onto Clyde Avenue

0.2 mi · 42 sec · Clyde Avenue
20

Arrive at destination

Clyde Avenue

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

Greenbelt, MD

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.

Pacing Suggestions

Baltimore Highlands, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 40 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

North Laurel, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 20 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 14

5 decision points cluster between mile 3.1 and 38.7 — 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
37.2 mi into trip | ~48m in

Take the exit toward I 695 East: Glen Burnie, Key Bridge

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 49A Toward I 695 East: Glen Burnie, Key Bridge
8
38.7 mi into trip | ~50m in

Take the exit toward Lansdowne, Maryland Food Bank

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

Use the right lane. Exit 9 Toward Lansdowne, Maryland Food Bank

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.38 one way

$12.76 round trip

$4.05/gal 25.4 MPG avg 14 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.48 $7.06 $14.12
premium $4.81 $7.57 $15.14
diesel $4.80 $7.55 $15.11

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 14 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 12 0 $4.20 $1.92
Efficient EV 10 0 $3.50 $1.60
EV Truck/SUV 16 0 $5.60 $2.56

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.

Travel Intel

Current conditions at both ends of the drive.

Forecast as of Jul 2, 2026

Origin

Gaithersburg, MD

Late night in Gaithersburg on Sunday

Local time

2:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

78°F

Clear

W 1 to 6 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 5:20PM EDT until July 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 2 at 5:20PM EDT until July 4 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Destination

Lansdowne, MD

Late night in Lansdowne on Sunday

Local time

2:42 AM

EDT

Current temp

81°F

Clear

W 2 to 7 mph 1% chance Live forecast

Extreme Heat Warning

Extreme Heat Warning issued July 2 at 5:20PM EDT until July 2 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Heat Advisory

Heat Advisory issued July 2 at 5:20PM EDT until July 4 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

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

3 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

54m 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 mixed driving experience on this 40-mile route, with 36% of your journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 15.9 miles on the Intercounty Connector, offering a period of consistent travel. As you progress, the drive transitions between faster-paced sections on major arteries like I-95 and potentially slower, more varied conditions on South Frederick Avenue. This blend means you'll experience both efficient highway cruising and the need to adjust your speed and awareness for local traffic.

36% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
20 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 14 decision points packed into just 40 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.

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.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

501 ft 88 ft

Total Climb

237 ft

Total Descent

650 ft

Highest Point

501 ft

Elevation Range

413 ft

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 Lansdowne, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Burtonsville along the way.

Burtonsville

19.5 mi in | ~27m

About the Cities

Starting in Gaithersburg, MD

Full guide →

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

  • • Gaithersburg — MARC rail station in Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States

Arriving in Lansdowne, MD

Full guide →

Founded 1892

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 54m. Total distance: 40 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

54m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

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

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (36%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

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.

Yes — we found about 4 rest areas or service plazas 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 Lansdowne, 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 — 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 Lansdowne, 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, 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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