Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Sep 7, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
1h 27m
Distance
57.7 mi
93 km
Drive Score
7/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$10
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.
Golden Beach, MD
Carel Voorhorst
Silver Spring, MD
www.kaboompics.com
Golden Beach, MD to Silver Spring, MD is 57.7 miles and takes about 1 hour 27 minutes via Capital Beltway and Leonardtown Road, with a fuel budget near $10 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, moving from the Northeast region to the Northeast region. Expect a route that primarily utilizes surface roads with a significant portion on the Capital Beltway. It's a manageable drive that can be completed comfortably in a single day, suitable for those looking for a direct connection between these two points without extensive highway time.
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 22.5 mi | 29m |
| Leonardtown Road | 10.6 mi | 14m |
| Branch Avenue | 9 mi | 11m |
| Golden Beach Road | 5.8 mi | 14m |
| Mattawoman Beantown Road | 3.3 mi | 5m |
| Crain Highway | 2.5 mi | 3m |
| Colesville Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Three Notch Road | 1 mi | 1m |
Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 32 FHWA count stations on your route.
Peak
7 AM
~6,351 veh/hr typical · worst 7,391
Quietest
2 AM
~640 veh/hr
Peak-to-quiet ratio
9.9×
busier at peak than in the quiet hours
Averaged across 105 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).
Step-by-step road directions between Golden Beach, MD and Silver Spring, MD.
Start on Dockser Drive
Turn left onto Grant Road
Turn right onto Golden Beach Road
Continue on Golden Beach Road
Turn right onto MD 5
Continue on MD 5
Turn right onto MD 5
Merge onto US 301; MD 5
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 5
Take the exit
Merge onto I 95; I 495
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
Take the exit
Merge onto US 29
Turn left onto US 29
Continue on US 29
Turn right
Turn right
Arrive at destination
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
29 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 13 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
The midpoint is around 28.8 miles from Golden Beach, 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 21 and 55.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
Merge onto US 301; MD 5 / Crain Highway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Keep slight left at fork onto MD 5 / Branch Avenue toward MD 5 North: Washington
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Take the exit toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495 / Capital Beltway toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Take the exit toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Regular Gas
$9.64 one way
$19.28 round trip
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.67 | $10.61 | $21.22 |
| premium | $5.01 | $11.39 | $22.77 |
| diesel | $5.60 | $12.72 | $25.44 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$10
Estimated CO2 emission: 20.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-08-31.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging · 0 stops · 65% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 17.3 | 0 | $6.06 | $2.77 |
| Efficient EV | 14.4 | 0 | $5.05 | $2.31 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 23.1 | 0 | $8.08 | $3.69 |
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% 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
Morning in Golden Beach on Monday
Local time
10:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
91°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Destination
Morning in Silver Spring on Monday
Local time
10:21 AM
EDT
Current temp
92°F
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
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.
This route features 0% highway driving, meaning you'll be on surface roads for the entire 57.7 miles. The longest continuous stretch without needing to navigate off the main roads is 22.5 miles on the Capital Beltway. You'll encounter a mix of driving as you transition from routes like Leonardtown Road to Branch Avenue, with frequent intersections and traffic lights common on urban and suburban surface roads.
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 21 miles in near US 301; MD 5 / Crain Highway.
Demanding - stay alert through the decision-heavy sections
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This drive requires moderate attention. Across 57.7 miles you will encounter 12 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 21 miles (US 301; MD 5 / Crain Highway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 23.5 miles (MD 5 / Branch Avenue): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 32.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one.
Mostly flat terrain
Total Climb
501 ft
Total Descent
166 ft
Highest Point
342 ft
~57.7 mi in
Elevation Range
335 ft
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
On the drive from Golden Beach, MD to Silver Spring, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
College Park
Founded 1887
Silver Spring is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Maryland. It is considered to be an "edge city". It sits next door to Washington, DC, and had about 82,000 residents in 2018. It has redeveloped its downtown district with an outdoor shopping plaza called "Downtown Silver Spring", and is criss-crossed by four creeks that are the basis for parks offering hiking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, and tennis courts.
City content from Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0).
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 1h 27m. Total distance: 57.7 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
1h 27m 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.
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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