Origin
Morningside, MD
Late night in Morningside on Sunday
Local time
3:54 AM
EDT
Current temp
74°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from Morningside, MD to Silver Spring, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
36m
Distance
24.3 mi
39 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$4
one way
EV Charging
Good
8 stations
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 33m
★
6 AM
0h 36m
8 AM
0h 42m
10 AM
0h 38m
12 PM
0h 38m
3 PM
0h 39m
5 PM
0h 42m
8 PM
0h 34m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
Morningside, MD
Jonathan Borba
Silver Spring, MD
www.kaboompics.com
Trip Overview
Morningside, MD to Silver Spring, MD is 24.3 miles and takes about 36m via Capital Beltway and Colesville Road, with a fuel budget near $4 and enough daylight to finish in a day. This trip stays within Maryland, connecting two points in the Northeast region. Expect a local drive with frequent turns, making it a bit more involved than a simple highway cruise. It's a short enough journey to easily complete in a single day, ideal for a quick trip between these Maryland communities.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Beltway | 20.3 mi | 26m |
| Colesville Road | 1.5 mi | 3m |
| Allentown Road | 0.6 mi | 1m |
| Georgia Avenue | 0.5 mi | 1m |
| Suitland Road | 0.4 mi | <1m |
| Morgan Road | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Larkspur Road | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Marianne Drive | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
Capital Beltway
— 20.3 mi, about 26m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Morningside, MD and Silver Spring, MD.
1
Start on Larkspur Road
0.1 mi
·
28 sec
·
Larkspur Road
2
Continue on Morgan Road
0.3 mi
·
54 sec
·
Morgan Road
3
At end of road, turn right onto Marianne Drive
515 ft
·
23 sec
·
Marianne Drive
4
Turn left onto Suitland Road
0.4 mi
·
43 sec
·
Suitland Road
5
Turn left onto MD 337
0.6 mi
·
1 min
·
Allentown Road
Use the left / straight lanes.
6
Take the ramp
0.2 mi
·
27 sec
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
7
Merge onto I 95; I 495
16 mi
·
21 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Keep slight left at fork onto I 495
4.2 mi
·
4 min
·
Capital Beltway
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
29 sec
Exit 30
Toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Use the right lane.
10
Merge onto US 29
1.5 mi
·
3 min
·
Colesville Road
11
Turn left onto US 29
0.4 mi
·
59 sec
·
Georgia Avenue
12
Continue on US 29
93 ft
·
9 sec
·
Georgia Avenue
13
Turn right
158 ft
·
13 sec
14
Turn right
85 ft
·
6 sec
15
Arrive at destination
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 105 decision points cluster between mile 0.4 and 22 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
5
0.4 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
Marianne Drive
At end of road, turn right onto Marianne Drive
Navigation decision point
5
1.5 mi into trip
|
~3m in
Take the ramp toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, College Park
Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward I 95 North, I 495 North: Baltimore, Coll...
5
1.7 mi into trip
|
~4m in
|
I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge onto I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway
Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
17.8 mi into trip
|
~25m in
|
I 495 / Capital Beltway
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
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Toward I 495 West: Beltway, Silver Spring
7
22 mi into trip
|
~30m in
Take the exit toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
Exit 30
Toward US 29 South: Silver Spring
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$4.03 one way
$8.06 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
9 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $4.41 | $8.82 |
| premium | $4.93 | $4.71 | $9.43 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $5.37 | $10.73 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$4
Estimated CO2 emission: 8.5 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $3 in charging · 0 stops · 67% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 7.3 | 0 | $2.55 | $1.17 |
| Efficient EV | 6.1 | 0 | $2.13 | $0.97 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 9.7 | 0 | $3.40 | $1.56 |
Gas CO2
9 kg
EV CO2
3 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
Silver Spring, MD
Late night in Silver Spring on Sunday
Local time
3:54 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
Very similar conditions
Both ends of the route are sitting at about the same temperature right now.
Road read
36m 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 described as a 'turn-heavy local drive,' meaning you won't be on the highway for the entire 24.3 miles, as indicated by the 0% highway share. The longest uninterrupted stretch you'll encounter is 20.3 miles on the Capital Beltway, offering a brief period of more consistent speed. As you transition off the Beltway onto roads like Colesville Road and Allentown Road, be prepared for more frequent turns and changes in speed. The local roads will likely present a more varied driving experience compared to a pure interstate journey.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
15 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 20.3 mi on Capital Beltway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
7/10
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 0.4 miles in near Marianne Drive.
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 10 decision points packed into just 24.3 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 36m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.4 miles (Marianne Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.7 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. 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.
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 Morningside, MD to Silver Spring, MD, road signs begin pointing toward College Park along the way.
College Park
1.5 mi in
|
~3m
Who Is This Route For?
Weekend Trip
Doable as a same-day drive at 36m. Total distance: 24.3 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
36m 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.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 20.3 miles on Capital Beltway. 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 Silver Spring, 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 0.4 miles (Marianne Drive): Navigation decision point; at 1.5 miles: Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 1.7 miles (I 95; I 495 / Capital Beltway): Merge point - match speed before joining. Lane positioning matters here.
Yes — Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail. 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 Silver Spring, 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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