Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 5, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
53m
Distance
39.1 mi
63 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Severn, MD
Jonathan Borba
Gaithersburg to Severn is 39.1 miles and takes about 53 minutes via the Intercounty Connector and I-95, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short drive stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a mixed highway and surface road experience that's straightforward for a single-day trip. It's a practical route for getting between these two areas without a significant time commitment.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Intercounty Connector | 15.9 mi | 20m |
| I 95 | 8.4 mi | 9m |
| MD 100 | 5 mi | 6m |
| South Frederick Avenue | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Shady Grove Road | 1.1 mi | 2m |
| Reece Road | 0.8 mi | 1m |
| Telegraph Road | 0.7 mi | 1m |
| Frederick Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 16 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~6,359 veh/hr typical
Quietest
2 AM
~696 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.1×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 96 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and Severn, MD.
Start on this road
Turn right onto MD 355
Continue on MD 355
Continue on MD 355
Turn left onto Shady Grove Road
Turn left
Merge onto MD 200 Toll
Take the exit
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Keep slight left at fork
Merge onto I 95
Take the exit
Merge onto MD 100
Take the exit
Keep slight right at fork
Turn straight onto MD 170
Turn right onto MD 174
Turn right onto Severn Road
Turn right onto Severn Station Road
Continue on Severn Station Road
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
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.
A short stop after about 39 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 19.5 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 3.1 and 37.1 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Turn left toward MD 200 Toll East
Lane positioning matters here
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
Keep slight left at fork toward MD 198 West: Burtonsville
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward MD 170: Linthicum, Odenton
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 170 South: Telegraph Road, Odenton
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Regular Gas
$6.53 one way
$13.07 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $7.19 | $14.38 |
| premium | $5.01 | $7.72 | $15.43 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $8.62 | $17.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 13.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 11.7 | 0 | $4.11 | $1.88 |
| Efficient EV | 9.8 | 0 | $3.42 | $1.56 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 15.6 | 0 | $5.47 | $2.50 |
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.
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Origin
Late night in Gaithersburg on Saturday
Local time
12:31 AM
EDT
Current temp
62°F
Mostly Clear
Destination
Late night in Severn on Saturday
Local time
12:31 AM
EDT
Current temp
63°F
Partly Cloudy
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.
About 34% of this 39.1-mile drive is on highways, with the longest continuous stretch being 15.9 miles on the Intercounty Connector. After this section, you'll transition to surface roads for the remainder of your trip. Be prepared for merging traffic as you transition between the highway and local roads.
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.
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 16 decision points packed into just 39.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 53m.
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.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
231 ft
Total Descent
572 ft
Highest Point
502 ft
~2.8 mi in
Elevation Range
405 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between Gaithersburg, MD and Severn, MD, road signs point toward Burtonsville and Odenton.
Burtonsville
Odenton
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 53m. Total distance: 39.1 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
53m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (34%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface 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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