Origin
Gaithersburg, MD
Late night in Gaithersburg on Monday
Local time
1:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
86°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Largo, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
47m
Distance
34 mi
55 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$6
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 43m
★
6 AM
0h 47m
8 AM
0h 55m
10 AM
0h 50m
12 PM
0h 49m
3 PM
0h 50m
5 PM
0h 55m
8 PM
0h 45m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Largo, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
The drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Largo, MD covers 34 miles and takes about 47m behind the wheel. This route is realistic as a one-day drive if you keep your stops efficient.
The route leans on Capital Beltway, I 270, Eisenhower Memorial Highway for much of the mileage, and the overall profile is mostly surface roads. The longest uninterrupted segment is about 20.7 miles on Capital Beltway. At current regular gas prices, budget about $5.68 one way before food or hotel costs.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 20.7 mi | 27m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| Central Avenue | 1 mi | 1m |
| West Diamond Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Chestnut Street | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| North Frederick Avenue | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 20.7 mi, about 27m
Traffic on I-495
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
12a
6a
noon
6p
11p
Averaged across 33 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 Largo, 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
21 mi
·
27 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 15A
Toward MD 214 East: Central Avenue, Largo
Use the slight right lane.
11
Turn straight onto MD 214
1.0 mi
·
1 min
·
Central Avenue
12
Turn slight right
0.1 mi
·
25 sec
Toward MD 202 North: Largo
Use the right lane.
13
Arrive at destination
Toward MD 202 North: Largo
Where to Stop
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.
Pacing Suggestions
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 34 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 17 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 115 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 32.6 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue
Turn left onto MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue
Navigation decision point
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
8
32.6 mi into trip
|
~44m in
Take the exit toward MD 214 East: Central Avenue, Largo
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 15A
Toward MD 214 East: Central Avenue, Largo
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$5.68 one way
$11.36 round trip
$4.24/gal
25.4 MPG avg
12 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $6.25 | $12.51 |
| premium | $5.01 | $6.71 | $13.42 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $7.49 | $14.99 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$6
Estimated CO2 emission: 11.9 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 10.2 | 0 | $3.57 | $1.63 |
| Efficient EV | 8.5 | 0 | $2.98 | $1.36 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 13.6 | 0 | $4.76 | $2.18 |
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.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Destination
Largo, MD
Late night in Largo on Monday
Local time
1:36 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
86°F
White Oak, MD
17 mi in
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
20 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
47m 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?
34 mi in 47m across surface roads — expect steady turns and local traffic rather than long highway runs.
Only 28% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
13 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.7 mi on Capital Beltway.
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 early in the drive near MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue.
Driving Effort
9/10
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 11 decision points packed into just 34 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 47m.
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.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
501 ft
101 ft
Total Climb
218 ft
Total Descent
537 ft
Highest Point
501 ft
Elevation Range
400 ft
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
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 Largo, 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 →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 Largo, MD
Full guide →Largo is a community of 12,000 people (2020) in Prince George's 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 47m. Total distance: 34 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
47m 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 20.7 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 Largo, 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: 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.
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 Largo, 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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