Origin
Gaithersburg, MD
Late night in Gaithersburg on Sunday
Local time
12:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Selby-on-the-Bay, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 14m
Distance
50.6 mi
81 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$8
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
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.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Selby-on-the-Bay, MD
Joachim Hoholm
Trip Overview
This 50.6-mile drive from Gaithersburg, MD to Selby-on-the-Bay, MD is a straightforward, one-day trip, taking about 1 hour and 14 minutes to complete. The primary roads you'll navigate include the Capital Beltway and the John Hanson Highway, with a portion on I-270. Given its short duration and manageable distance, this route is perfectly suited for a single day of travel without needing an overnight stay. Expect a fuel cost of around $8 for this journey. Both your origin and destination are within the Northeast region of the US, keeping the regional context consistent.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 16.3 mi | 21m |
| John Hanson Highway | 10.4 mi | 11m |
| I 270 | 9.4 mi | 12m |
| Central Avenue | 6.4 mi | 10m |
| Davidsonville Road | 3 mi | 5m |
| Eisenhower Memorial Highway | 1.4 mi | 1m |
| West Diamond Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Edgemont Street | 0.5 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 Selby-on-the-Bay, 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
10 mi
·
11 min
·
John Hanson Highway
12
Take the exit
0.5 mi
·
1 min
Exit 16
Toward MD 424: Davidsonville, Crofton
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Keep slight right at fork
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Toward MD 424 South: Davidsonville Road, Davidsonville
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
14
Turn straight onto MD 424
3.0 mi
·
5 min
·
Davidsonville Road
15
Turn left onto MD 214
6.4 mi
·
10 min
·
Central Avenue
16
Turn left onto Hillside Avenue
0.4 mi
·
1 min
·
Hillside Avenue
17
Turn left onto Edgemont Street
0.5 mi
·
1 min
·
Edgemont Street
18
Arrive at destination
Edgemont Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
25 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 11 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 25.3 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 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 40.1 — 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.
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
39.6 mi into trip
|
~52m in
Take the exit toward MD 424: Davidsonville, Crofton
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 16
Toward MD 424: Davidsonville, Crofton
8
40.1 mi into trip
|
~53m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 424 South: Davidsonville Road, Davidsonville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward MD 424 South: Davidsonville Road, Davids...
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$8.39 one way
$16.78 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
18 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $9.19 | $18.38 |
| premium | $4.93 | $9.81 | $19.63 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $11.17 | $22.34 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$8
Estimated CO2 emission: 17.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $5 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 15.2 | 0 | $5.31 | $2.43 |
| Efficient EV | 12.7 | 0 | $4.43 | $2.02 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 20.2 | 0 | $7.08 | $3.24 |
Gas CO2
18 kg
EV CO2
6 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
Selby-on-the-Bay, MD
Late night in Selby-on-the-Bay on Sunday
Local time
12:44 AM
EDT
Current temp
72°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 route offers a "turn-heavy local drive" profile, meaning you'll experience a mix of highway travel and more intricate local roads. Only 19% of the journey is on highways, so be prepared for more frequent turns and potential traffic. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 16.3 miles on the Capital Beltway, after which the drive transitions to more varied road conditions. This dynamic suggests a journey where you'll need to stay engaged with navigation as you move from faster-paced sections to more localized routes.
Only 19% 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
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 50.6 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 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Gaithersburg, MD and Selby-on-the-Bay, MD, road signs point toward College Park, Crofton and Davidsonville.
College Park
9.1 mi in
|
~13m
|
via I 270
Crofton
39.6 mi in
|
~52m
Davidsonville
40.1 mi in
|
~53m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 14m. Total distance: 50.6 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 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 Selby-on-the-Bay, 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 Selby-on-the-Bay, 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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