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Trip from Gwynn Oak, MD to Cottage City, MD

Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

56m

Distance

35.1 mi

56 km

Drive Score

7/10

Good drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Unknown

Best Time to Leave

Save up to 14 min
4 AM
0h 52m ★
6 AM
0h 57m
8 AM
1h 6m
10 AM
1h 0m
12 PM
0h 59m
3 PM
1h 0m
5 PM
1h 6m
8 PM
0h 54m

Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.

Best Time Drive vs Fly
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Downtown Gwynn Oak, MD, MD

Gwynn Oak, MD

Iqbal farooz

Downtown Cottage City, MD, MD

Cottage City, MD

Efrem Efre

Trip Overview

Gwynn Oak to Cottage City is 35.1 miles and takes about 56 minutes via Baltimore-Washington Parkway and MD 166, with a fuel budget near $6 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. It's a short, practical drive that primarily uses a major parkway, making it a straightforward option for getting between these areas. You'll find the route is largely highway-focused, which can be efficient for covering the distance quickly. Consider this an easy transit between your starting and ending points with minimal fuss.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
Baltimore-Washington Parkway 21.6 mi 29m
MD 166 3.3 mi 3m
Ingleside Avenue 2.8 mi 5m
West Forest Park Avenue 1.4 mi 3m
Annapolis Road 1.3 mi 2m
South Rolling Road 1.2 mi 2m
Bloomsbury Avenue 0.9 mi 2m
Hillsdale Road 0.9 mi 2m
Longest stretch: Baltimore-Washington Parkway — 21.6 mi, about 29m

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Gwynn Oak, MD and Cottage City, MD.

1

Start on this road

60 ft · 6 sec · this road
2

Turn right onto Haddon Avenue

178 ft · 11 sec · Haddon Avenue
3

Turn left onto Hillsdale Road

0.9 mi · 2 min · Hillsdale Road
4

Turn slight right onto West Forest Park Avenue

1.4 mi · 3 min · West Forest Park Avenue
5

Continue on Ingleside Avenue

2.8 mi · 5 min · Ingleside Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
6

Continue on Bloomsbury Avenue

0.9 mi · 2 min · Bloomsbury Avenue
7

At end of road, turn left onto MD 166

0.9 mi · 2 min · South Rolling Road
8

Continue on MD 166

0.3 mi · 39 sec · South Rolling Road
Use the straight lane.
9

Turn left onto MD 166

3.3 mi · 3 min · MD 166
Toward I 195 East Use the left lane.
10

Take the exit

0.6 mi · 1 min
Exit 2B Toward MD 295 South: Washington Use the straight / slight right lanes.
11

Merge onto MD 295

22 mi · 29 min · Baltimore-Washington Parkway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12

Take the exit

0.2 mi · 27 sec
Toward MD 450: Annapolis, Bladensburg Use the slight right lane.
13

Keep slight right at fork

299 ft · 7 sec
Toward MD 450: Bladensburg
14

Turn straight onto MD 450

1.3 mi · 2 min · Annapolis Road
15

Continue on MD 450

0.4 mi · 52 sec · Bladensburg Road
16

Turn right onto 42nd Avenue

0.1 mi · 32 sec · 42nd Avenue
17

Turn left onto Bunker Hill Road

141 ft · 7 sec · Bunker Hill Road
18

Turn left onto Parkwood Street

127 ft · 5 sec · Parkwood Street
19

Arrive at destination

Parkwood Street

Where to Stop

Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.

census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Catonsville, MD

18 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

Riverdale Park, MD

Fuel and coffee

A short stop after about 35 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.

Maryland City, MD

Meal break

The midpoint is around 17.5 miles from Gwynn Oak, 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 11

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 33.1 — 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 | Haddon Avenue

Turn right onto Haddon Avenue

Navigation decision point

6
7.3 mi into trip | ~17m in | MD 166

Turn left onto MD 166 toward I 195 East

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 195 East
7
10.6 mi into trip | ~21m in

Take the exit toward MD 295 South: Washington

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here

Use the straight / slight right lanes. Exit 2B Toward MD 295 South: Washington
7
32.9 mi into trip | ~52m in

Take the exit toward MD 450: Annapolis, Bladensburg

Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the slight right lane. Toward MD 450: Annapolis, Bladensburg
6
33.1 mi into trip | ~52m in

Keep slight right at fork toward MD 450: Bladensburg

Highway fork - watch signs carefully

Toward MD 450: Bladensburg

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$5.82 one way

$11.64 round trip

$4.21/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.61 $6.37 $12.75
premium $4.93 $6.81 $13.61
diesel $5.61 $7.75 $15.50

No toll roads detected on this route.

Drive Cost (one way)

Fuel

$6

Estimated CO2 emission: 12.3 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.

Driving Electric?

About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2

Vehicle Type kWh Stops DC Fast Home Charge
Average EV 10.5 0 $3.69 $1.68
Efficient EV 8.8 0 $3.07 $1.40
EV Truck/SUV 14 0 $4.91 $2.25

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.

Forecast as of Apr 16, 2026

Origin

Gwynn Oak, MD

Morning in Gwynn Oak on Sunday

Local time

7:56 AM

EDT

Current temp

91°F

Mostly Sunny

SW 8 to 12 mph 3% chance Live forecast

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 4:45AM EDT by NWS Mount Holly NJ

Special Weather Statement

Special Weather Statement issued April 16 at 3:33AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Destination

Cottage City, MD

Morning in Cottage City on Sunday

Local time

7:56 AM

EDT

Current temp

78°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

13 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

56m on the road

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.

What kind of drive is this?

This drive is predominantly highway-focused, with 71% of the journey on faster roads like the Baltimore-Washington Parkway. You'll experience a longest uninterrupted stretch of 21.6 miles on this parkway, offering a consistent cruising experience. The route incorporates MD 166 and Ingleside Avenue, suggesting a shift from the parkway to more local or arterial roads as you approach your destination. Expect a blend of open-road driving and the gradual introduction of more traffic and turns closer to Cottage City.

71% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 21.6 mi on Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Baltimore-Washington Parkway and MD 166. This route has several spots where lane changes, forks, or exits need your full attention. The trickiest moment comes early in the drive near Haddon Avenue.

Driving Effort 7/10

Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive

Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.

This is a short but busy drive. With 11 decision points packed into just 35.1 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 56m.

Where does it get tricky?

The main spots that need attention: near the start (Haddon Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (MD 166): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 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.

On the drive from Gwynn Oak, MD to Cottage City, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Bladensburg along the way.

Bladensburg

32.9 mi in | ~52m

Who Is This Route For?

Weekend Trip

Doable as a same-day drive at 56m. Total distance: 35.1 miles.

Family Friendly

Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.

Solo Traveler

56m drive, comfortable solo distance.

EV Driver

0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.

First-Time Driver

Mostly highway driving (71%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 21.6 miles on Baltimore-Washington Parkway. 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 Cottage City, 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 (Haddon Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 7.3 miles (MD 166): Lane positioning matters here; at 10.6 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.

Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Cottage City, 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, and EIA for fuel prices. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.

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Explore More

Return Trip

Cottage City, MD to Gwynn Oak, MD

Plan the drive back the other way.

35.5 mi 57m

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