Origin
Kensington, MD
Late night in Kensington on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
73°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Kensington, MD to Essex, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
37m
Distance
23.5 mi
38 km
Drive Score
8/10
Great drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 35m
★
6 AM
0h 38m
8 AM
0h 44m
10 AM
0h 40m
12 PM
0h 39m
3 PM
0h 40m
5 PM
0h 44m
8 PM
0h 36m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Kensington, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
Spanning just 25.6 miles, this trip between Kensington and Essex is a quick, straightforward journey across Maryland. You can easily complete the drive in about 33 minutes, making it a perfect candidate for a single-day excursion. With a fuel budget of approximately $4, it is an economical choice for those looking to travel between these two Northeast locations. Because the duration is so short, you won't need to worry about overnight logistics or complex planning. It serves as a practical, no-fuss connection that gets you from point A to point B without any unnecessary overhead.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| I 97 | 8.3 mi | 9m |
| Harbor Tunnel Thruway | 3.4 mi | 5m |
| Eastern Avenue | 2.3 mi | 4m |
| Harbor Tunnel Throughway | 2 mi | 2m |
| Benfield Road | 1.6 mi | 3m |
| Baltimore Harbor Tunnel | 1.4 mi | 2m |
| Benfield Boulevard | 1.1 mi | 1m |
| Eastern Boulevard | 1 mi | 2m |
Longest stretch:
I 97
— 8.3 mi, about 9m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Kensington, MD and Essex, MD.
1
Start on Banyon Avenue
404 ft
·
23 sec
·
Banyon Avenue
2
Turn left onto Brentwood Avenue
332 ft
·
16 sec
·
Brentwood Avenue
3
Turn right onto Kensington Avenue East
343 ft
·
18 sec
·
Kensington Avenue East
4
Turn right onto Benfield Road
1.6 mi
·
3 min
·
Benfield Road
5
Continue on Benfield Boulevard
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Benfield Boulevard
6
Take the ramp
0.4 mi
·
52 sec
Toward I 97 North: Baltimore
7
Merge onto I 97
8.3 mi
·
9 min
·
I 97
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Merge onto Harbor Tunnel Throughway
2.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Throughway
9
Continue on I 895
2.2 mi
·
3 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Continue on I 895
1.4 mi
·
2 min
·
Baltimore Harbor Tunnel
11
Continue on I 895
1.2 mi
·
1 min
·
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
12
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Exit 11A
Toward Boston Street
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
13
Turn straight onto O'Donnell Street Cutoff
520 ft
·
14 sec
·
O'Donnell Street Cutoff
14
Turn left onto Interstate Avenue
0.1 mi
·
30 sec
·
Interstate Avenue
Use the left lane.
15
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
35 sec
Toward I 95 North: New York
16
Merge onto I 95
0.6 mi
·
51 sec
·
I 95
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
17
Take the exit
0.3 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 59
Toward MD 150: Eastern Avenue
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
18
Keep slight right at fork
256 ft
·
8 sec
Toward MD 150 East: Eastern Avenue, East Essex
Use the right lane.
19
Turn right onto MD 150
2.3 mi
·
4 min
·
Eastern Avenue
Use the straight lane.
20
Continue on MD 150
1.0 mi
·
2 min
·
Eastern Boulevard
21
Turn left onto North Taylor Avenue
211 ft
·
13 sec
·
North Taylor Avenue
22
Turn right
521 ft
·
38 sec
23
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 155 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 20 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.1 mi into trip
|
~0m in
|
Brentwood Avenue
Turn left onto Brentwood Avenue
Navigation decision point
5
3.3 mi into trip
|
~6m in
|
I 97
Merge onto I 97
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
7
18.4 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward Boston Street
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 11A
Toward Boston Street
7
19.7 mi into trip
|
~28m in
Take the exit toward MD 150: Eastern Avenue
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 59
Toward MD 150: Eastern Avenue
9
20 mi into trip
|
~29m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 150 East: Eastern Avenue, East Essex
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the right lane.
Toward MD 150 East: Eastern Avenue, East Essex
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$3.90 one way
$7.79 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
8 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.27 | $8.53 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.56 | $9.12 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.19 | $10.38 |
Estimated Tolls: $0.23
Harbor Tunnel Thruway
(3.4 mi)
$0.23
Toll estimates based on average 2024-2025 rates. EZ-Pass/SunPass discounts may lower the actual cost.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Tolls
$0
Total
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $2 in charging · 0 stops · 63% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.1 | 0 | $2.47 | $1.13 |
| Efficient EV | 5.9 | 0 | $2.06 | $0.94 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.4 | 0 | $3.29 | $1.50 |
Gas CO2
8 kg
EV CO2
3 kg (63% 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
Essex, MD
Late night in Essex on Sunday
Local time
12:58 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°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
1 degrees warmer at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
37m 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?
Expect a turn-heavy local drive rather than a high-speed interstate cruise, as this route contains 0% highway travel. You will be navigating local roads for the entire 25.6-mile duration, requiring your full attention as you transition through various neighborhoods. Since there are no long, uninterrupted stretches of highway, the pace remains steady and demands constant engagement with your surroundings. Prepare for a more hands-on driving experience where the road surface and traffic patterns shift frequently. This is an ideal route for those who prefer local navigation over the monotony of major freeways.
38% highway, the rest on surface roads — varied driving throughout.
23 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 8.3 mi on I 97.
How Hard Is This Drive?
8/10
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 around 0.1 miles in near Brentwood Avenue.
Driving Effort
8/10
Focused - busy navigation packed into a short drive
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 15 decision points packed into just 23.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 37m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (Brentwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (I 97): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.4 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
136 ft
0 ft
Total Climb
252 ft
Total Descent
281 ft
Highest Point
136 ft
~11.7 mi in
Elevation Range
136 ft
About the Cities
Starting in Kensington, MD
Full guide →Kensington is a suburb of Washington, D.C. in the Capital Region of Maryland with a population of about 2,100 people in 2020. The main reasons to visit are antique shopping at Antique Row, to see the enormous Mormon Temple, and one great pizza place. Aside from that, it's just a quiet suburban town with some odd quirks. Sections of the "Town of Kensington" are really beautiful, with big old Victorian homes set in a nice community by parks and Antique Row—looking much as it did when Kensington was a summer getaway from the big city.
Arriving in Essex, MD
Full guide →Southeast Baltimore, fittingly, covers the areas in the southeast of Baltimore, ranging from industrial wastelands to charming neighborhoods both quiet and hip.
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 37m. Total distance: 23.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
37m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
First-Time Driver
Mostly highway driving (38%). Some complex stretches to watch for.
Scenic Drive
Mixed highway & surface route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 8.3 miles on I 97. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Expect about $0.23 in tolls one way, starting with Harbor Tunnel Thruway. Most Northeast and Midwest toll agencies accept E-ZPass; in the West and Texas, transponders like TxTag or FasTrak apply. If you do not have a transponder, cashless tolling plates will mail a bill to the vehicle's registered address — usually with a surcharge, so a rental-car toll pass is often cheaper than paying by mail.
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 Essex, 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: at 0.1 miles (Brentwood Avenue): Navigation decision point; at 3.3 miles (I 97): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here; at 18.4 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 Essex, 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 USGS 3DEP for elevation. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.
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