Origin
Gaithersburg, MD
Morning in Gaithersburg on Tuesday
Local time
6:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
66°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Gaithersburg, MD to Urbana, MD
Pin this tripCompiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 21, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
22m
Distance
16.4 mi
26 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$3
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 20m
★
6 AM
0h 22m
8 AM
0h 26m
10 AM
0h 24m
12 PM
0h 23m
3 PM
0h 24m
5 PM
0h 26m
8 PM
0h 21m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Gaithersburg, MD
Kristopher Hines
Urbana, MD
Jonathan Borba
Trip Overview
Gaithersburg to Urbana is 16.4 miles and takes about 22 minutes via I 270 and North Frederick Avenue, with a fuel budget near $3 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This short trip stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Given its brevity, this route is ideal for a quick commute or an easy addition to a larger travel plan. It's a straightforward drive that won't take up much of your day.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 270 | 14.3 mi | 18m |
| North Frederick Avenue | 0.9 mi | 1m |
| Fingerboard Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Quince Orchard Road | 0.2 mi | <1m |
| Sugarloaf Parkway | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Urbana Pike | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
I 270
— 14.3 mi, about 18m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Gaithersburg, MD and Urbana, MD.
1
Start on this road
85 ft
·
12 sec
·
this road
2
Turn left onto MD 355
0.9 mi
·
1 min
·
North Frederick Avenue
3
Turn left onto MD 124
0.2 mi
·
28 sec
·
Quince Orchard Road
Use the left lane.
4
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Toward I 270 North
5
Merge onto I 270
14 mi
·
18 min
·
I 270
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
6
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
30 sec
Exit 26
Toward MD 80: Urbana, Buckeystown
Use the right lane.
7
Turn left onto MD 80
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
·
Fingerboard Road
8
Enter roundabout onto Sugarloaf Parkway
334 ft
·
5 sec
·
Sugarloaf Parkway
9
Continue on Sugarloaf Parkway
412 ft
·
14 sec
·
Sugarloaf Parkway
10
Turn left onto MD 355 Business
347 ft
·
11 sec
·
Urbana Pike
11
Arrive at destination
MD 355 Business
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 75 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 15.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue
Turn left onto MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue
Navigation decision point
4
0.9 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
MD 124 / Quince Orchard Road
Turn left onto MD 124 / Quince Orchard Road
Lane positioning matters here
Use the left lane.
4
1.1 mi into trip
|
~2m in
Take the ramp toward I 270 North
Navigation decision point
Toward I 270 North
5
1.3 mi into trip
|
~2m in
|
I 270
Merge onto I 270
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
15.7 mi into trip
|
~20m in
Take the exit toward MD 80: Urbana, Buckeystown
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Exit 26
Toward MD 80: Urbana, Buckeystown
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$2.72 one way
$5.44 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
6 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $2.98 | $5.96 |
| premium | $4.93 | $3.18 | $6.36 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $3.62 | $7.24 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$3
Estimated CO2 emission: 5.7 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 4.9 | 0 | $1.72 | $0.79 |
| Efficient EV | 4.1 | 0 | $1.43 | $0.66 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 6.6 | 0 | $2.30 | $1.05 |
Gas CO2
6 kg
EV CO2
2 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
Urbana, MD
Morning in Urbana on Tuesday
Local time
6:49 AM
EDT
Current temp
47°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
19 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
22m 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 is primarily highway, with 88% of the drive on high-speed roads. You'll experience a longest stretch of 14.3 miles on I 270 before transitioning to North Frederick Avenue and Fingerboard Road. Expect a dense network of exits and merges as you navigate the highway portion.
88% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
11 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 14.3 mi on I 270.
How Hard Is This Drive?
4/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on I 270 and North Frederick Avenue. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue.
Driving Effort
4/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 22m drive. You will face about 7 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: near the start (MD 355 / North Frederick Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 0.9 miles (MD 124 / Quince Orchard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
About the Cities
Starting in Gaithersburg, MD
Full guide →Gaithersburg is a city of 70,000 people (2020) in Montgomery 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 22m. Total distance: 16.4 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
22m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (88%). Straightforward navigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 14.3 miles on I 270. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
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 0.9 miles (MD 124 / Quince Orchard Road): Lane positioning matters here; at 1.1 miles: Navigation decision point.
Yes — Monocacy National Battlefield, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail (5 total within detour distance). 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 Urbana, 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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