Origin
North Bethesda, MD
Late night in North Bethesda on Sunday
Local time
2:01 AM
EDT
Current temp
77°F
Unavailable
Live forecast
Trip from North Bethesda, MD to Annapolis, MD
Compiled and reviewed by the US Trip Planner planning team at COD Solutions Oy · Last reviewed Apr 19, 2026 · Editorial standards
Drive Time
54m
Distance
40.5 mi
65 km
Drive Score
6/10
Good drive
Same Day?
Yes, doable
Fuel Cost
$7
one way
EV Charging
Unknown
Best Time to Leave
4 AM
0h 50m
★
6 AM
0h 54m
8 AM
1h 3m
10 AM
0h 58m
12 PM
0h 57m
3 PM
0h 58m
5 PM
1h 3m
8 PM
0h 52m
Estimated drive times based on typical traffic patterns. Actual times may vary with weather, construction, and real-time conditions.
North Bethesda, MD
Kelly
Annapolis, MD
Wikimedia Commons
Trip Overview
This 40.5-mile drive from North Bethesda, MD, to Annapolis, MD, is a manageable one-day trip, taking about 54 minutes. With a modest fuel cost estimated at $7, it's an economical option for a quick getaway. The route primarily utilizes local roads, including Rockville Pike, the Capital Beltway, and the John Hanson Highway, with no highway driving percentage. Given its short duration and local road nature, it's perfect for a spontaneous excursion rather than requiring an overnight stay. You'll be navigating a more turn-heavy local experience as you make your way from the Northeast region of Maryland to its neighboring area.
Main Roads
| Road | Distance | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| John Hanson Highway | 18.7 mi | 21m |
| Capital Beltway | 16.1 mi | 20m |
| Rockville Pike | 1.8 mi | 3m |
| Roscoe Rowe Boulevard | 1.3 mi | 2m |
| Nicholson Lane | 0.3 mi | <1m |
| Northwest Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| School Street | 0.1 mi | <1m |
| Tudor Lane | <0.1 mi | <1m |
Longest stretch:
John Hanson Highway
— 18.7 mi, about 21m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between North Bethesda, MD and Annapolis, MD.
1
Start on Tudor Lane
146 ft
·
8 sec
·
Tudor Lane
2
At end of road, turn left onto Tudor Lane
338 ft
·
20 sec
·
Tudor Lane
3
Turn left onto Commonwealth Drive
347 ft
·
17 sec
·
Commonwealth Drive
4
Turn right onto Nicholson Lane
0.3 mi
·
58 sec
·
Nicholson Lane
5
Turn right onto MD 355
1.8 mi
·
3 min
·
Rockville Pike
Use the right lane.
6
Take the ramp
0.3 mi
·
36 sec
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
7
Merge onto I 495
16 mi
·
20 min
·
Capital Beltway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
8
Take the exit
1.0 mi
·
2 min
Exit 19A
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
9
Merge onto US 50
19 mi
·
21 min
·
John Hanson Highway
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
10
Take the exit
0.2 mi
·
31 sec
Exit 24
Toward MD 70: Rowe Boulevard, Bestgate Road, Annapolis, Maryland Fire-Rescue Memorial, Historic Annapolis State Capital
Use the slight right lane.
11
Keep slight right at fork
0.3 mi
·
32 sec
Toward MD 70 : Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis South
12
Turn straight onto MD 70
1.1 mi
·
1 min
·
Roscoe Rowe Boulevard
13
Keep slight right at fork onto Roscoe Rowe Boulevard
0.1 mi
·
13 sec
·
Roscoe Rowe Boulevard
14
Turn left onto Northwest Street
0.1 mi
·
22 sec
·
Northwest Street
15
Enter roundabout onto School Street
0.1 mi
·
16 sec
·
School Street
16
Continue on School Street
137 ft
·
5 sec
·
School Street
17
Arrive at destination
School Street
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
Mid-route town
Meal stop
20 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
Fuel and coffee
A short stop after about 40.5 miles helps settle the day before fatigue starts building.
Meal break
The midpoint is around 20.2 miles from North Bethesda, 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 145 decision points cluster between mile 0.5 and 38.7 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
6
0.5 mi into trip
|
~1m in
|
MD 355 / Rockville Pike
Turn right onto MD 355 / Rockville Pike
Lane positioning matters here
Use the right lane.
6
2.3 mi into trip
|
~5m in
Take the ramp toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the straight / slight left lanes.
Toward I 495 East: Baltimore, Silver Spring
7
18.7 mi into trip
|
~26m in
Take the exit toward US 50 East: Annapolis
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / slight right lanes.
Exit 19A
Toward US 50 East: Annapolis
8
38.4 mi into trip
|
~50m in
Take the exit toward MD 70: Rowe Boulevard, Bestgate Road, Annapolis, Maryland Fire-Rescue Memorial, Historic Annapolis State Capital
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early. Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Use the slight right lane.
Exit 24
Toward MD 70: Rowe Boulevard, Bestgate Road, An...
7
38.7 mi into trip
|
~51m in
Keep slight right at fork toward MD 70 : Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis South
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one
Toward MD 70 : Rowe Boulevard, Annapolis South
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$6.71 one way
$13.43 round trip
$4.21/gal
25.4 MPG avg
14 kg CO2
| Fuel Type | $/gal | One Way | Round Trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| midgrade | $4.61 | $7.35 | $14.71 |
| premium | $4.93 | $7.85 | $15.71 |
| diesel | $5.61 | $8.94 | $17.88 |
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$7
Estimated CO2 emission: 14.2 kg one way. Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-04-13.
Driving Electric?
About $4 in charging · 0 stops · 64% less CO2
| Vehicle Type | kWh | Stops | DC Fast | Home Charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average EV | 12.2 | 0 | $4.25 | $1.94 |
| Efficient EV | 10.1 | 0 | $3.54 | $1.62 |
| EV Truck/SUV | 16.2 | 0 | $5.67 | $2.59 |
Gas CO2
14 kg
EV CO2
5 kg (64% 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
Annapolis, MD
Late night in Annapolis on Sunday
Local time
2:01 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
3 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
54m 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 on this route, with a 0% highway share. The roads you'll be on, such as Rockville Pike, the Capital Beltway, and the John Hanson Highway, offer a more connected-to-the-ground feel. While there are no extended highway stretches, the longest uninterrupted segment is 18.7 miles on the John Hanson Highway. This means you'll be navigating traffic lights and local intersections more frequently, offering a different driving experience than a pure interstate journey. Be prepared for a dynamic route that keeps you engaged with the surroundings.
Only 0% highway — the rest is turn-by-turn surface driving.
17 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 18.7 mi on John Hanson Highway.
How Hard Is This Drive?
9/10
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 0.5 miles in near MD 355 / Rockville Pike.
Driving Effort
9/10
Focused - lots of decisions in a short distance, but it is over quickly
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a short but busy drive. With 14 decision points packed into just 40.5 miles, you will need to pay attention to lane changes and exits — but the whole thing is over in 54m.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.5 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.7 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.
Towns Mentioned on Route Signs
Based on OSRM destination-sign hints, not a full list of every settlement the road passes.
Between North Bethesda, MD and Annapolis, MD, road signs point toward Silver Spring, Maryland Fire-Rescue Memorial and Historic Annapolis State Capital.
Silver Spring
2.3 mi in
|
~5m
Maryland Fire-Rescue Memorial
38.4 mi in
|
~50m
Historic Annapolis State Capital
38.4 mi in
|
~50m
About the Cities
Arriving in Annapolis, MD
Full guide →Annapolis is the capital city of the U.S. state of Maryland. Annapolis was a thriving, wealthy town in the 1600s and 1700s. Many of the houses and other buildings from the 1800s remain, leaving a thriving, vibrant historic district with shops and restaurants along the waterfront. Brick-lined streets and quaint shops add to the feel. You could easily spend a day walking around the town's downtown harbor area shopping and eating. There is also a lively nighttime scene.
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 54m. Total distance: 40.5 miles.
Family Friendly
Moderate complexity with 0 natural rest stops along the way.
Solo Traveler
54m drive, comfortable solo distance.
EV Driver
0 DC fast chargers along the route. Coverage: unknown.
Scenic Drive
Mostly surface roads route profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
The longest stretch is about 18.7 miles on John Hanson Highway. 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 Annapolis, 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 0.5 miles (MD 355 / Rockville Pike): Lane positioning matters here; at 2.3 miles: Lane positioning matters here. Multiple destination signs - pick the right one; at 18.7 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 Annapolis, 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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