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Trip from Gwynn Oak, MD to Fairwood, MD

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Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Oct 21, 2026 · Editorial standards

Drive Time

56m

Distance

35.1 mi

56 km

Drive Score

8/10

Great drive

Same Day?

Yes, doable

Fuel Cost

$6

one way

EV Charging

Good

8 stations

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 5m
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
Google Maps Waze Apple Maps
Download GPX
Downtown Gwynn Oak, MD, MD

Gwynn Oak, MD

Iqbal farooz

Downtown Fairwood, MD, MD

Fairwood, MD

Jonathan Borba

Trip Overview

This 35.1-mile drive from Gwynn Oak, MD to Fairwood, MD is a straightforward, one-day trip that should take about 56 minutes. You'll primarily be on I-97, the Baltimore Beltway, and MD 3, making it a convenient option for a quick journey within the Northeast region. With an estimated fuel cost of $6, this route is budget-friendly for a day trip. The mixed drive profile suggests a blend of highway speeds and potentially some local road transitions, but the relatively short distance means it's easily manageable without needing an overnight stop. Plan for a simple, efficient travel day.

Main Roads

Road Distance Duration
I 97 8.9 mi 10m
MD 3 7.6 mi 11m
Baltimore Beltway 7.6 mi 10m
Annapolis Road 2.8 mi 5m
Ingleside Avenue 1.6 mi 3m
West Forest Park Avenue 1.4 mi 3m
Church Road North 1.1 mi 2m
Hillsdale Road 0.9 mi 2m
Longest stretch: I 97 — 8.9 mi, about 10m

Traffic on I-695

Hour-of-day weekday pattern from 50 FHWA count stations on your route.

Peak

7 AM

~4,373 veh/hr typical · worst 6,350

Quietest

2 AM

~400 veh/hr

Peak-to-quiet ratio

10.9×

busier at peak than in the quiet hours

12a 6a noon 6p 11p

Averaged across 104 weeks of 2023 FHWA Travel Monitoring Analysis System data. Weekday hours only (Mon–Fri).

Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions

Step-by-step road directions between Gwynn Oak, MD and Fairwood, 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

1.6 mi · 3 min · Ingleside Avenue
Use the left / straight lanes.
6

Turn right onto US 40

0.5 mi · 55 sec · Baltimore National Pike
Use the left lane.
7

Take the ramp

0.4 mi · 51 sec
Toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie Use the left lane.
8

Merge onto I 695

7.6 mi · 10 min · Baltimore Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9

Take the exit

0.8 mi · 1 min
Exit 4 Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge Use the slight left lane.
10

Continue on I 97

8.9 mi · 10 min · I 97
Use the straight lane.
11

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3

7.6 mi · 11 min · MD 3
Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton Use the left lane.
12

Turn right onto MD 450

2.8 mi · 5 min · Annapolis Road
13

Turn left onto MD 197

0.2 mi · 37 sec · Laurel Bowie Road
14

Turn right onto Old MD 450

0.6 mi · 1 min · Old Annapolis Road
15

Turn left onto Church Road North

1.1 mi · 2 min · Church Road North
16

Turn right onto Fairwood Parkway

0.3 mi · 40 sec · Fairwood Parkway
17

Turn left onto Gerrards Hope Drive

0.2 mi · 50 sec · Gerrards Hope Drive
18

Turn right onto Tylers Hope Drive

346 ft · 15 sec · Tylers Hope Drive
19

Arrive at destination

Tylers Hope Drive

Where to Stop

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

Downtown Gambrills, MD, MD

Mid-route town

Meal stop

Gambrills, 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

Woodmore, MD

Fuel and coffee

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

South Gate, 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 12

5 decision points cluster between mile 0 and 22.1 — 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

5
4 mi into trip | ~9m in | US 40 / Baltimore National Pike

Turn right onto US 40 / Baltimore National Pike

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane.
6
4.5 mi into trip | ~10m in

Take the ramp toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie

Lane positioning matters here

Use the left lane. Toward I 695 South: Glen Burnie
8
12.4 mi into trip | ~22m in

Take the exit toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge

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

Use the slight left lane. Exit 4 Toward I 97 South: Annapolis, Bay Bridge
8
22.1 mi into trip | ~33m in | MD 3

Keep slight right at fork onto MD 3 toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton

Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one

Use the left lane. Toward MD 32 West, MD 3 South: Bowie, Crofton

Fuel & Cost

Regular Gas

$6.13 one way

$12.26 round trip

$4.44/gal 25.4 MPG avg 12 kg CO2
Fuel Type $/gal One Way Round Trip
midgrade $4.86 $6.71 $13.42
premium $5.20 $7.18 $14.36
diesel $6.18 $8.54 $17.08

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, 2026-10-19.

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 Oct 19, 2026

Origin

Gwynn Oak, MD

Late night in Gwynn Oak on Wednesday

Local time

3:00 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Sunny

N 5 to 8 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 19 at 5:03AM EDT until October 19 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Coastal Flood Watch

Coastal Flood Watch issued October 19 at 4:09AM EDT until October 21 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

Destination

Fairwood, MD

Late night in Fairwood on Wednesday

Local time

3:00 AM

EDT

Current temp

66°F

Sunny

N 6 to 9 mph 0% chance Live forecast

Freeze Warning

Freeze Warning issued October 19 at 5:03AM EDT until October 19 at 9:00AM EDT by NWS Baltimore MD/Washington DC

Coastal Flood Watch

Coastal Flood Watch issued October 19 at 4:09AM EDT until October 21 at 10:00PM EDT by NWS Wakefield VA

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

Very similar conditions

Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.

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?

Expect a mixed drive on this route, with 48% of the journey on highways. The longest uninterrupted stretch is 8.9 miles on I-97, offering a chance for consistent speed. You'll transition between the Baltimore Beltway and MD 3, likely experiencing varied traffic conditions and road types. While not exclusively a highway cruise, the drive balances faster sections with potentially more varied local road segments, giving you a dynamic driving experience without being overly taxing for its 56-minute duration.

48% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
19 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.9 mi on I 97.

How Hard Is This Drive?

7/10

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 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 12 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 4 miles (US 40 / Baltimore National Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Elevation Profile

Mostly flat terrain

486 ft 24 ft

Total Climb

542 ft

Total Descent

782 ft

Highest Point

486 ft

~5 mi in

Elevation Range

462 ft

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 Fairwood, MD, road signs begin pointing toward Crofton along the way.

Crofton

22.1 mi in | ~33m | via MD 3

About the Cities

Starting in Gwynn Oak, MD

Full guide →

Arriving in Fairwood, MD

Full guide →

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 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 (48%). Some complex stretches to watch for.

Scenic Drive

Mixed highway & surface route profile with national parks nearby.

Frequently Asked Questions

The longest stretch is about 8.9 miles on I 97. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.

Yes — we found about 1 rest area or service plaza within a short detour of the route (from OpenStreetMap). See the Rest Stops tab under Nearby Places for locations and mile markers. Plan to stretch, use the bathroom, and top off fluids every 2–3 hours on longer drives.

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 Fairwood, 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 4 miles (US 40 / Baltimore National Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 4.5 miles: Lane positioning matters here.

Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. 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 Fairwood, 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, 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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